Glaucoma Testing and Treatment

As eye doctors we see varying symptoms of glaucoma depending on the type and severity of the disease.

Common symptoms can include:

• Red eyes
• Patchy blind spots in your peripheral (side) vision
• Blurred vision
• Seeing “halos” when you look at lights
• Eye pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Severe headaches

For the most common type of glaucoma (open-angle glaucoma), symptoms gradually increase so subtly that it’s hard to notice. Once symptoms do appear, often the disease is fairly advanced.

It’s important to get your eyes checked once a year, especially if you are over the age of 60, have a family history of glaucoma, or if you have certain medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or sickle cell anemia.

The good news is that glaucoma can be slowed and sometimes stopped with ongoing medical care.

It’s important to have a care team who can help you get an accurate diagnosis and define an ongoing treatment plan.

Also, advances in glaucoma treatment are progressing. Innovative technology, like the Equinox system we use here at CLEAR, is helping glaucoma patients live better lives.

Glaucoma occurs when your optic nerve gets damaged by increased pressure in the eye.

Pressure happens with the naturally occurring fluid in your eye (called aqueous humor) can’t drain through a tissue called the trabecular meshwork. When the fluid can’t drain, pressure increases, damaging your optic nerve.

If left untreated, glaucoma will eventually cause permanent blindness. It’s a serious disease that is the leading cause of blindness for people over the age of 60.

If you catch the disease early, the progression of blindness can be slowed and sometimes stopped. People with glaucoma will generally need ongoing treatment for the rest of their lives.

There are four different types of glaucoma:

1. Open-angle glaucoma: The most common form of the disease. Pressure from the trabecular meshwork in your eye is partially blocked, which damages your optic nerve. This type happens slowly and it’s hard for you to notice changes in your vision
2. Angle-closure glaucoma (also called closed-angle glaucoma): If the iris in your eye bulges forward, it can prohibit fluid from circulating in your eye, causing pressure. It can occur suddenly (a medical emergency) or gradually
3. Normal-tension glaucoma: This type happens when your eye pressure is healthy, but your optic nerve still somehow becomes damaged
4. Pigmentary glaucoma: Pigment granules from your iris build up in your eye’s drainage channels, making it hard for fluid to leave your eye