Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of diseases in which the optic nerve and its associated retinal nerve fibers progressively get damaged. It is often associated with a pressure in the eye that is higher than what that particular eye can tolerate.
High eye pressures can occur when the body produces too much fluid (aqueous humor) inside the eye or when normal drainage of the fluid does not filter out of the eye adequately. A higher than normal eye pressure causes damage to the very sensitive optic nerve and nerve fibers of the retina. Loss of sight may occur gradually (or in rare cases, suddenly) if glaucoma is not controlled.
In the more common chronic form of glaucoma, symptoms are rare and loss of sight occurs so gradually that the patient is not aware of any changes. Acute glaucoma is more rare and symptoms include severe pain, headache, and nausea.
Early diagnosis and treatment is imperative. With an early diagnosis of glaucoma, treatment usually keeps it from getting worse. Regular eye exams are necessary to measure intra-ocular eye pressure, evaluate the integrity of the optic nerve, and study a patient’s peripheral field of vision. People with a family history of glaucoma or other factors indicating predisposition to this disease should be especially cautious.
All eye doctors at Signature Eye Care have their Optometric Glaucoma Specialist license. Additionally, our clinic has the advanced instrumentation to aid in early detection of glaucoma.
Zeiss Cirrus ® 4000 HD-OCT
Sophisticated Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) equipment delivers the latest in retina and glaucoma diagnostics, with the efficiency and reliability to meet the demands of today’s clinical practice. Detecting, tracking, and managing early signs of glaucoma is now much easier with this updated and innovative technology. The full-color digital displays from the OCT allows the eye doctors at Signature Eye Care to clearly explain to patients the many aspects of glaucoma to consider.
