Glaucoma Suspect

What are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?

August 12, 2015 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Are you ready to learn more about the symptoms of glaucoma?

It’s just a fact that our physical health starts to decline as we age, and our eye health also faces issues from Father Time as well.

Glaucoma is a condition – or rather group of conditions – that is very complicated, but it basically boils down to increased eye pressure and optic nerve damage causing vision loss. Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms of glaucoma, which will show you why visiting your eye doctor is so important. [Read more…]

A Glaucoma Suspect vs. Glaucoma

June 19, 2015 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Glaucoma is an eye condition or more accurately a group of eye conditions – affecting over 60 million people worldwide (2.7 million Americans). Glaucoma typically stems from increased intraocular pressure (IOP) leading to damage of the optic nerve, which is responsible for carrying visual signals to the brain, and vision loss.

Normal eye pressure is 12-21 mm Hg. Anything above 21 is considered elevated.

What is a Glaucoma Suspect?

The presence of increased IOP does not necessarily mean an individual will develop glaucoma, it simply means that they may be more likely to develop glaucoma. There is a large group of people called “ocular hypertensives,” which have increased IOP, but do not suffer the optic nerve damage associated with glaucoma. This is also what we mean by Glaucoma Suspect – someone who has signs of glaucoma, like increased IOP, but lacks others, like optic nerve damage or a visual field defect.

“It’s like all of the players are on the field, but the game has not started,” explained April Pevear, a Patient Care Specialist at Anne Arundel Eye Center.

A Glaucoma Suspect is someone who has signs of glaucoma, like increased IOP, but lacks others, like optic nerve damage or a visual field defect.

While these individuals may not have optic nerve damage or glaucoma right now, that doesn’t mean they cannot develop these issues down the road. Up to 10 million Americans are estimated to suffer from elevated IOP, making them glaucoma suspects, and roughly 1% of these individuals will develop glaucoma.

What Does it Mean if I am an Ocular Hypertensive?

If you are found to have increased IOP, immediate treatment may not be necessary. However, regular eye exams and vigilant monitoring are a must to ensure your condition does not worsen. If treatment is necessary, this is typically done with eye drops to help reduce IOP and the risk of future glaucoma development.

Even after treatment, regular check-ups with your eye-care practitioner – ophthalmologist or optometrist – will be needed to monitor your situation and help prevent any future vision loss.

Glaucoma Treatment in Maryland

The Anne Arundel Eye Center, led by board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals, AAEC’s state-of-the-art treatment center is dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

Dr. Boles and the staff at AAEC have helped preserve thousands of patients’ vision. They can help you too.

If you wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC), please contact Board Certified Ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, Dr. Kathryn Gurganus Turner, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or Click Here to fill out our contact form.

You can also follow AAEC on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

What is Exfoliative Glaucoma?

June 21, 2013 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

What is Exfoliative Glaucoma?

Also known as pseudoexfoliation, Exfoliative Glaucoma is a type of open-angle glaucoma.

What Causes Exfoliative Glaucoma?

Exfoliative glaucoma is caused by an abnormal accumulation of protein in the eye’s drainage system. The eye disease develops in approximately 50% of eyes with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (abbreviated as either PXF of PXE), which is commonly seen in older individuals and in certain racial groups, such as people from Russia, the Nordic countries, Greeks, Mediterranean populations, Indians, and more.. PXF is when you have the finding of exfoliation on the ledge without glaucoma damage. It is a warning sign of glaucoma (to learn more, check out our previous blog, “What is a Glaucoma Suspect”).

How is Exfoliative Glaucoma different from Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG)?

POAG affects around one percent of all Americans (mainly those individuals age 50 or older), making it the most common form of glaucoma. And because this form of glaucoma develops slowly, it rarely ever presents any symptoms and often goes undetected without regular screenings. Unlike POAG, exfoliative glaucoma shows higher intraocular eye pressure (IOP), faster rates of progression, poor response to medical therapy, and increased need for surgical intervention.

How is Exfoliative Glaucoma Diagnosed?

The eye disease often requires a dilated eye exam to diagnose. Any individual over the age of 40 with a family history of exfoliative glaucoma or Northern European extraction should be most cautious, seeking biyearly eye exams.

How is Exfoliative Glaucoma Treated?

As we have already said, most patients show poor response to medical therapy, however, they tend to respond well to treatment by laser trabeculoplasty and most types of glaucoma surgery.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. If left untreated, glaucoma can and does lead to total blindness. Early detection and treatment, meanwhile, can save your sight. An ophthalmologist can usually detect those individuals who are at risk for glaucoma before nerve damage occurs.

Anne Arundel Eye Center

Specializing in glaucoma and cataracts, the Anne Arundel Eye Center offers complete ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care. If you have any questions about our blog, “What is Exfoliative Glaucoma?” please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at the Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

Source:

Exfoliative Glaucoma Glaucoma Research Foundation

“I have Glaucoma. Now what?” FAQs answered by your Annapolis Eye Doctor

January 25, 2013 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

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.

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

Source:

Glaucoma and your Eyes WebMD

What are the Different Types of Glaucoma? :: Annapolis, Maryland Eye Doctor

November 2, 2012 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

What many people do not realize is that the term glaucoma actually refers to a group of eye disease that lead to damage of the optic nerve, usually resulting from a rise in intraocular pressure (IOP). The optic nerve carries visual information from the eye to the brain.

The various types of glaucoma include:

Open-Angle Glaucoma: The most common form of glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma is what most people think of when referring to glaucoma.

Low-Tension Glaucoma: Also known as normal-tension glaucoma, this form of the eye disease causes optic nerve damage and vision loss in people with normal intraocular eye pressure.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma: In this form of glaucoma, the fluid at the front of the eye cannot reach the angle to leave the eye, causing a sudden increase in eye pressure.

Congenital Glaucoma: Congenital glaucoma occurs when children are born with a defect in the angle of the eye, slowing the normal drainage of fluid and the eventual increase in eye pressure.

Pigmentary Glaucoma: This is a type of inherited open-angle glaucoma, which develops more frequently in men than in women and is most prevalent in individuals in their twenties and thirties.

Trauma-Related Glaucoma: Trauma to the eye can sometimes result in the development of glaucoma in the injured eye.

Pseudo-Exfoliation Glaucoma: This type of glaucoma is characterized by the production and progressive accumulation of a dandruff-like material in the ocular tissues.

Secondary Glaucoma: This refers to any glaucoma that develops as a complication of other medical conditions.

Glaucoma Detection and Treatment in Annapolis, Maryland

In its earliest stages, glaucoma presents little or no symptoms. Because of this, many patients can lose as much as 40% of their vision before even noticing, which is why glaucoma is sometimes referred to as the sneak thief of sight. And once a person begins to lose their vision, the damage is irreversible. This is why regular eye exams are so important.

With early detection and treatment, glaucoma can be managed. If left untreated, glaucoma can and does lead to total blindness.

Located in Annapolis, Maryland, Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC) is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Not only does an AAEC offer a wide range of advanced procedures to improve and preserve your vision, but board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles is passionate about further educating patients and their families about the eye disease they are afflicted with.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!