Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness and vision impairment in the United States and can affect patients of all ages. At Retina and Eye Clinic we diagnos and treat glaucoma to reduce your risk of blindness. Call the office to schedule an appointment or book online today.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a progressive disease that, if left untreated, can lead to blindness. At early stages most people don’t have symptoms and don’t notice the damage until it’s too late, which is why early intervention is crucial.

Glaucoma is a group of conditions that compromise your optic nerve. There are several types of glaucoma such as Open-angle glaucoma, Closed-angle glaucoma and Normal-tension glaucoma.

Glaucoma is typically caused by intraocular pressure, which damages your optic nerve. Risk factors include:

Age over 50
Family history
Diabetes, heart disease, or other chronic conditions
Nearsightedness or farsightedness
Eye injuries

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

Glaucoma often has no early warning signs, earning it the nickname “silent thief of sight”. Symptoms usually appear only in advanced stages. The severity of symptoms increase the longer the disease goes untreated.

Open-Angle Glaucoma (Most Common): No symptoms in early stages; gradual loss of peripheral (side) vision leading to blind spots and eventually to narrowed vision as the disease progresses.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma causes sudden, severe symptoms requiring emergency care including:

Headache
Eye pain
Blurred vision
Rainbow-colored halos around lights

What are the treatments for glaucoma?

There are treatments can halt the progression of the disease and expert ophtalmologists can offer you a solution that sutavle for your situation.
some of the latest minimally invasive techniques include:

iStent® – creates a drainage pathway to relieve the fluid buildup in your eyes, it’s the smallest medical device known to be implanted into the human body.
The OMNI Surgical System – an implant-free, MIGS technology indicated to treat primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) via canaloplasty followed by trabeculotomy.

When to Seek Immediate Care?

If you experience sudden, severe eye pain, headache, and vomiting, seek emergency medical attention, as this indicates a rapid rise in eye pressure that can cause permanent blindness