Everyone is at risk for glaucoma, and while Bono has been getting much of the attention lately because of his explanation for never going out without sunglasses, even wearing them indoors, glaucoma is a serious, and often misunderstood, disease affecting over 2.2 million Americans. Fortunately, our ophthalmologists here at Scottsdale Eye Physicians & Surgeons have over 40 years of experience with glaucoma treatments, including glaucoma laser surgery.
Glaucoma Risk Factors, Symptoms and Types
Glaucoma works by damaging your eye’s optic nerve, which over time can cause blindness. Pressure builds up within the eye, placing stress on the optic nerve, which transmits images to the brain. That pressure can cause so much damage that the optic nerve cannot send images to the brain.
Those most at risk for the most common form of glaucoma are over 40, African American, and with a family history of the disease. If you have diabetes, poor vision, or are taking steroid medications, you could also be at risk.
When it comes to the more common open-angle glaucoma symptoms, unfortunately some of the first signs of the disease are loss of peripheral vision or a narrowing vision. Symptoms of a less common form, called angle-closure glaucoma, can be redness in the eye, nausea or vomiting, pain in the eyes, or seeing halos around lights. Your best defense against glaucoma is to catch it early, and in most instances that is only accomplished with regular eye exams.
With a thorough eye exam here at Scottsdale Eye Physicians & Surgeons, our ophthalmologists can reveal high eye pressure, thinness of the cornea, and abnormal optic nerve anatomy. Caught in the early stages, glaucoma can be delayed from progressing.
Glaucoma Treatment
Dennis L. Kilpatrick, MD and William R. Kilpatrick, MD, have over 40 years of experience with glaucoma and the available treatments for this disease, including laser surgery. When detected early by an eye exam, glaucoma can be treated initially with eye drops to reduce the formation of fluid in the eye. If the build up of fluids within the eye can be reduced, the pressure on the eye that causes optic nerve damage can be reduced as well.
In more advanced cases, laser surgery is a treatment option that is available here at Scottsdale Eye Physicians & Surgeons. With laser surgery, our ophthalmologists can increase the outflow of fluid from the eye to release pressure on the optic nerve.
While glaucoma cannot be prevented, it can be managed with proper and early treatment. With eye drops and laser surgery, eye pressure can be lowered and loss of vision can be prevented. We can’t stress how important eye exams are for an early diagnosis of diseases like glaucoma. Make your appointment today.