Glaucoma Specialist

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a condition that can eventually cause you to lose your vision. It develops when the pressure inside your eye, called your intraocular pressure, is high enough to damage your optic nerve. Your intraocular pressure rises when you have too much fluid inside your eye. Typically, the pressure stays normal as the fluid slowly drains out through a small channel inside your eye. If this channel becomes partially blocked or clogged, the pressure begins to build. 

Usually, glaucoma changes your vision so gradually that you might not know you have it until it reaches an advanced stage. Unfortunately, you cannot retrieve your lost vision once it begins to decline. 

The team at Suburban Eye Clinic helps you retain your clear vision for as long as possible. They identify early signs of glaucoma that you can’t discern on your own. It’s important to get regular eye exams to diagnose glaucoma in its early stages when you can still slow your vision decline and prevent complete vision loss. 

What are some typical signs and symptoms of glaucoma?

There are two main types of glaucoma. Each causes different signs and symptoms that worsen with time. After an eye exam, your provider at Suburban Eye Clinic tells you which type you have and creates an appropriate treatment plan:

Open-angle glaucoma

In the early stages of open-angle glaucoma, you might see blurred or blind spots in your peripheral vision of one or both eyes. As your condition worsens, you develop tunnel vision. Without treatment, you can go blind.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma

Acute angle-closure glaucoma typically comes with more symptoms than open-angle glaucoma. You might experience eye pain, headaches, halos around lights, blurry vision, and eye redness. Without treatment, you may go blind.

What are my treatment options for glaucoma?

At Suburban Eye Clinic, your glaucoma treatment is personalized according to your needs. If you have symptoms of acute angle-closure glaucoma, you should seek emergency treatment right away to relieve the pressure in your eyes. If you have other forms of glaucoma, your provider creates a treatment plan that may include:

Eye drops

Glaucoma treatment often involves various forms of eye drops to lower your intraocular pressure. They might reduce the amount of fluid your eye produces or improve the draining mechanisms in your eyes. 

Oral medications

Certain oral medications can also help regulate the amount of fluid in your eyes. Your provider might prescribe these if eye drops alone can’t ease the pressure enough. 

Surgery

Your provider at Suburban Eye Clinic might recommend laser surgery, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, or other operations to help drain the fluid from inside your eyes. You must return for follow-up checkups and treatment after surgery if it’s part of your treatment. 

To find out if your vision decline is related to decline, call Suburban Eye Clinic or schedule an appointment online today.