Five things you need to know about glaucoma.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a vision condition that can lead to permanent blindness. It’s a scary disease that affects millions of Americans. The more you know about this condition, the better chance you have of preserving your vision.
There are no early signs of glaucoma
With a lot of eye conditions, an annual comprehensive eye exam can detect early signs of eye diseases. Glaucoma often has no warnings or early symptoms, and the progression of this disease is so gradual that you might not even notice it affects your vision.
Who’s At Risk?
Everyone can develop glaucoma, but it most commonly affects people over the age of 60 who have a family history of the disease, has diabetes, use steroids, or have a previous eye injury. This disease is most likely to affect those of African-American, Hispanic, or Asian descent. If you fall into one of the categories, we recommend getting a comprehensive eye exam done every one to two years.
It Can Lead to Irreversible Vision Loss
The most intimidating factor of glaucoma is its ability to lead to permanent vision loss or blindness. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease, but there are ways to slow the progression of it once it’s detected.
Comprehensive Exams Help
Comprehensive eye exams can help detect glaucoma. A dilated eye exam will allow your eye doctor to examine your optic nerve more closely. Measuring the thickness of your cornea and examining where your iris meets the cornea is another exam that will help detect glaucoma. It’s important to make sure you are receiving a complete comprehensive exam when you go to the eye doctor.
How to treat Glaucoma?
As previously mentioned, there is no cure for glaucoma, but the progression can be slowed. Make sure you are getting a comprehensive eye exam as recommended by your eye doctor, and if you do show signs of glaucoma, eye drops, laser treatments, or surgical implants can help slow and prevent the progression.
If you’re at a higher risk for glaucoma, schedule an appointment with Bodenhamer Eye Consultants, or another eye doctor near you today.
