Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a condition associated with increased eye pressure. It is caused when aqueous humor fluid is not allowed to drain properly from the eye because there is too much fluid produced in the eye or because there is blockage in the eye’s drainage system.
With increased eye pressure the potential for damage to the retina and optic nerve increases. This is important because the optic nerve transmits images to the brain and if this transmission is damaged, you can have permanent vision loss.
Types of Glaucoma
- Open-angle glaucoma (most common): eye structure is normal but the fluid does not drain properly through the trabecular meshwork
- Narrow-angle or angle-closure glaucoma:eye structure causes a sudden build-up of pressure in the eye
Glaucoma Symptoms
Glaucoma, often dubbed the ‘silent thief of sight,’ does not usually result in any pain or other symptoms in the early stages. You may not detect a change in your vision until irreversible damage has occurred. Regular eye exams are very important for detecting silent conditions like glaucoma, especially if you have a family history of glaucoma, are over age 40 or have other health problems or eye diseases.
More advanced stages of glaucoma may result in these symptoms:
- Blurred vision
- Mild headaches
- Night vision problems, such as halos around lights
- Eye pain
- Nausea
- Vision loss
Glaucoma Treatment Options
While there is no “cure” for glaucoma, at South Texas Eye Consultants we can manage glaucoma using several methods:
- Medicated eye drops to lower the intraocular pressure (IOP)
- Lumenis® Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) to treat open-angle glaucoma
- YAG Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (PI) to treat angle-closure glaucoma
- Ahmed Valve Implantation to promote fluid drainage
If you are experiencing changes in your vision or have a history of glaucoma in your family tree, schedule an eye exam right away. Our doctors can provide glaucoma testing in Corpus Christi, TX and recommend glaucoma treatment options.