Glaucoma Symptoms and Treatment

Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that damages the eye’s optic nerve. The condition can get worse overtime, and permanent blindness can result if left untreated. Many people with glaucoma do not experience symptoms or pain, so it is difficult to identify early on. For this reason, regular eye exams are vital to apprehending the disease and starting the correct treatment.

The Signs and Symptoms

If you are over the age of 40 and have family members with glaucoma, you are more likely to get the disease yourself. If you have diabetes or a family history of glaucoma or another eye disease, you many need to see the eye doctor more often. Although glaucoma usually affects adults over 40, it has been identified in young adults, children, and infants. If you are of Russian, Irish, Japanese, Hispanic, Inuit, Scandinavian, or African-American descent, you are more likely to get glaucoma. If you have poor vision, have had eye trauma, have diabetes, or have taken steroid medications (like prednisone) you are also more likely to get glaucoma.

If you have experienced any of the following symptoms, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor immediately: vision loss, nausea or vomiting, eye pain, tunnel vision, redness in the eye, or seeing halos around lights.

The Treatment

Prescription eye drops, laser surgery, microsurgery, or other methods are typical glaucoma treatments.

• Eye drops: Eye drops are often the first treatment option for those with glaucoma. Eye drops can reduce the development of fluid in the eye or increase its outflow. Some glaucoma medications can affect the heart and lungs so be sure to tell your doctor what medications you are currently taking or are allergic to.
• Laser Surgery: Laser surgery can either increase the movement of fluid from the eye or stop fluid blockage, depending on the type of glaucoma you have.
• Microsurgery: Using a procedure called trabeculectomy, eye pressure is released by making a new channel to drain fluid.

Schedule a consultation

If you have experienced any of the symptoms related to glaucoma, contact the Eye Associates today. You can speak with our team by calling our office in Meridian: 208-342-5151 or Caldwell: 208-459-0717. We look forward to assisting you.