Glaucoma is a serious eye disease and one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Leroy W. Robinson, III, OD, Ealeen H. Kim, OD, William C. Ackerman Jr., MD, and the team at Advanced Eye Center in Gainesville, Georgia, recommend regular eye exams so you can find and treat glaucoma before it causes permanent vision loss. To learn more about glaucoma, call or schedule an appointment online today with the experts at Advanced Eye Center.
request an appointmentWhat is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that occurs when there’s damage to the optic nerve. This damage usually occurs due to a buildup of fluid in the eye, increasing pressure on the nerve. Damage to the optic nerve is irreversible.
Glaucoma is called the “sneak-thief” because it causes very few symptoms. Damage to the optic nerve causes blindspots in your vision that may go unnoticed until most of the nerve has died.
Some people are at greater risk of developing glaucoma, including Hispanics and Latinos. Having diabetes or high blood pressure also increases your risk.
What are the types of glaucoma?
There are two main types of glaucoma, including:
Open-angle glaucoma
Open-angle glaucoma is the most common type and occurs gradually over time because of a decrease in eye fluid drainage.
Narrow-angle glaucoma
Narrow-angle glaucoma is less common but more serious because it occurs quickly. With this type of glaucoma, the iris blocks the eye’s drainage angle. The buildup of fluid and eye pressure happens quickly, causing sudden changes in vision and eye pain.
If you have blurry vision and eye pain, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Narrow-angle glaucoma needs immediate medical attention to reduce the risk of permanent vision loss.
What happens during an evaluation for glaucoma?
Regular eye exams may save your vision. The team at Advanced Eye Center performs a comprehensive eye exam when you come in for care. They measure your vision and examine your eyes, paying close attention to your eye’s drainage angle.
They also run tests to measure the pressure in your eye.
What are the treatments for glaucoma?
Advanced Eye Center offers the latest treatment options for glaucoma. In addition to eye drops that lower eye pressure, the team performs procedures at their surgery center to treat glaucoma, including:
Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT)
SLT uses a laser tool to stimulate the outflow of eye fluids.
Endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP)
ECP is a laser procedure that treats the ciliary body (gland that produces eye fluid) to decrease fluid production.
Trabeculectomy
During a trabeculectomy, your eye surgeon creates a tiny flap in the eye wall to assist with fluid drainage.
Stent
For people with cataracts and glaucoma, the team may place a stent in the eye draining area during cataract surgery to increase the outflow of fluid.
Kahook Dual Blade®
The Kahook Dual Blade is a ophthalmic blade that allows your provider at Advanced Eye Center to make small incisions in the trabecular meshwork (area where eye fluid drains) to increase fluid drainage. They use this tool during cataract surgery.
Call Advanced Eye Center or schedule your glaucoma evaluation online today.