You have been diagnosed with glaucoma. Now what? How will your vision be affected? Will you go blind?
Glaucoma and your Vision
Will you go blind? Probably not. As long as you seek out effective monitoring and treatment, it is rare to loose vision from glaucoma. In fact, just 5% of all glaucoma patients go totally blind.
- Mild Glaucoma: At first, vision loss due to glaucoma is almost unnoticeable, affecting your side or peripheral vision. But because a person can lose as much as 40% of their vision before noticing, regular, comprehensive eye exams are extremely important.
- Moderate Glaucoma: Eventually, vision loss will become noticeable. At this point, the patient will have already experienced significant loss of vision. And once a person begins to lose their vision, the damage is irreversible.
- Severe Glaucoma: In severe cases of glaucoma, extreme vision loss can occur, including central vision.
The key to preserving your site is early detection. This is why regular, comprehensive eye exams are so important. With no known cure for the eye disease, early detection and treatment is your best defense against vision loss.
Glaucoma Treatment
There are several known treatment sot help slow or even stall the progression of glaucoma. These treatments fall into one of three categories: drops, laser and actual surgeries.
Drops
- Eye Drops: Eye drops are used to reduce fluid in the front of the eye and lessen intraocular pressure (IOP).
Laser
- Trabeculoplasty: A laser is used to pull open the trabecular meshwork drainage area. The type we use is Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT). We will talk more about this in next week’s blog.
- Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI): A small hole is made in the iris, allowing fluid to flow more freely. This type of laser surgery is most commonly used to treat Narrow Angle Glaucoma or Angle-Closure Glaucoma. Click here to learn more about this type of glaucoma.
- Cyclophotocoagulation: A laser is used to treat the middle layer of the eye to reduce the production of fluid.
Surgery
1. Trabeculectomy: The most common surgery for glaucoma.
To learn more about Glaucoma, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com. Staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals, our state-of-the-art treatment center is dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.
For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.
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Source:
- Glaucoma and your Eyes WebMD