Glaucoma

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease which can damage the optic nerve and lead to progressive, irreversible vision loss.

Who is at risk?

You are at risk if:
Your parents or sibling have glaucoma
You are African American or Latino
Have diabetes or cardiovascular disease
The risk of glaucoma also increases with age.

Open-Angle Glaucoma

Glaucoma cannot be cured, but it can usually be controlled. If left untreated, damage to the optic nerve can occur resulting in loss of vision which could eventually lead to blindness. The angle in your eye where the iris meets the cornea should be wide and open. Sometimes these drainage canals stop working properly and fluid exits the eye too slowly, and the excess trapped fluid can increase internal eye pressure and subsequent damage to the optic nerve which sends visual signals to the brain.

Controlling glaucoma can be achieved by medicines that lower the intraocular pressure inside the eye, laser surgery (YAG or SLT) or filtration surgery using devices such as an iStent. The goal of all three of these treatments is to lower the pressure in the eye.

Narrow-Angle Glaucoma

This much more rare type of glaucoma occurs when the increased pressure of excess fluid causes the iris to be pushed forward which blocks the drainge channel completely and eye pressure can spike rapidly.

Symptoms of narrow-angle glaucoma may include:
Blurred vision
Severe eye pain
The appearance of rainbow-colored circles around bright lights
Nausea or vomiting

This is a much more rare form of glaucoma, which develops very quickly and demands immediate medical attention.

If you would like more information or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us at 801-294-8855.