What causes glaucoma?
Glaucoma refers to a group of eye conditions in which high eye pressure — called intraocular pressure, or IOP — damages your optic nerve. Eye pressure is created by fluid that supports your eye’s shape.
As your eyes produce fresh fluid, an equal amount of old fluid must drain out of your eye, using a system called the trabecular meshwork. If the drainage system is blocked, too much fluid accumulates, and eye pressure rises.
When your eye pressure is higher than usual, it pushes against the optic nerve, causing permanent damage. Without treatment, ongoing nerve damage leads to vision loss and blindness.
What symptoms develop when you have glaucoma?
Glaucoma doesn’t cause symptoms in its early stages; they only develop when enough of the optic nerve is damaged to affect your vision.
At first, you lose peripheral (side) vision. Over time, you start to lose central vision, which interferes with your ability to see straight ahead.
What are the different types of glaucoma?
Although there are multiple types of glaucoma, primary open angle glaucoma accounts for at least 90% of cases. It occurs when the drainage canals of the trabecular meshwork become clogged.
Another less common form, acute angle-closure glaucoma, is a medical emergency because it develops quickly, causing rapid nerve damage and vision loss.
Acute angle-closure glaucoma leads to sudden, severe symptoms, such as eye pain, blurry vision, a headache, and nausea. If you experience these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.
How is glaucoma diagnosed and treated?
Besides standard eye pressure tests, Dr. Wilson uses optical coherence tomography (OCT), a state-of-the-art technology that gives him the ability to diagnose and track glaucoma precisely.
OCT is a noninvasive imaging system that uses light waves to take cross-section images of your retina. With this image, Dr. Wilson can see every layer of your retina, measure each layer’s thickness, map changes, and determine glaucoma progression.
Glaucoma treatment primarily consists of medicated eye drops to lower eye pressure. If your glaucoma progresses despite medication, Dr. Wilson may recommend laser treatment or surgery to open the drainage systems.
Dr. Wilson can detect the early signs of glaucoma during an eye exam long before you develop symptoms. This gives you time to start treatment to reduce IOP and preserve your vision. To schedule an exam, call the office or book an appointment online.
