Glaucoma is called silent thief of sight. NYLASIK offers the most advanced glaucoma treatment options including a breakthrough procedure that can reduce or eliminate the need for daily medications.
What Is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries the information from the eye to the brain, so when that nerve is damaged you can lose your vision. The exact cause isn’t known, but it is thought the disease is caused by high intraocular pressure in the eye, which is a characteristic of another problem known as ocular hypertension. While they are different in nature, ocular hypertension can increase a person’s risk of having glaucoma.
When left untreated, glaucoma can cause blindness. It is actually one of the leading causes of blindness in adults. It is known as the “silent thief of sight” because the condition does not usually show any symptoms until the disease has progressed to a point where extensive peripheral vision loss occurs.
How Can I Prevent Glaucoma?
While glaucoma may not be preventable, the patient may slow down its progression with early treatment. This makes regular eye examinations essential for early detection and treatment. During an eye consultation, the patient will undergo a series of painless tests including dilated eye exams, eye pressure measurements, and even visual field testing, to identify any problems in your vision.
What Are The Types Of Glaucoma?
The most common type of glaucoma is open-angle glaucoma, which is characterized as the chronic, progressive degeneration of the eye’s anterior optic nerve. It usually affects both eyes simultaneously. Closed-angle glaucoma isn’t as common in America and it usually affects only one eye at a time. This type manifests several symptoms acutely, including eye pain, colored halos around lights, blurring of vision, and nausea and vomiting.
What Are The Treatments Options?
Although vision loss cannot be reversed, glaucoma can be treated by slowing down the rate of its progression as early as possible in the disease. Usually, special eye drops are prescribed to reduce intraocular pressure. The drops can be applied once or multiple times a day, depending on the prescription. Surgery may be required when the drops no longer have the same impact, although there are cases where surgery is the first option.