Glaucoma is the generalized name for a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve of the eye, preventing the eye from sending accurate visual information to the brain.
A glaucoma test is usually part of a routine eye exam. Both types of glaucoma tests measure internal pressure of the eye.
One glaucoma test involves measuring what happens when a puff of air is blown across the surface of the eye (a puff test). Another test uses a special device (in conjunction with eye-numbing drops) to “touch” the surface of the eye to measure eye pressure.
While increased eye pressure is a key indicator of the disease, it does not necessarily mean you have a glaucoma diagnosis. In fact, the only way to detect glaucoma is to have a detailed, comprehensive eye exam that often includes dilation of the pupils. So true glaucoma testing actually involves examining the retina and optic nerve at the back of the eye for signs of the disease.
Depending on the severity of the disease, treatment for glaucoma can involve the use of medications, conventional (bladed) surgery, laser surgery or a combination of these treatments.
Medicated eye drops aimed at lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) usually are tried first to control glaucoma. Because glaucoma is often painless, people may become careless about strict use of eye drops that can control eye pressure and help prevent permanent eye damage. In fact, non-compliance with a program of prescribed glaucoma medication is a major reason for blindness resulting from glaucoma.
If you find that the eye drops you are using for glaucoma are uncomfortable or inconvenient, never discontinue them without first consulting your eye doctor about a possible alternative therapy. All glaucoma surgery procedures (whether laser or non-laser) are designed to accomplish one of two basic results: decrease the production of intraocular fluid or increase the outflow (drainage) of this same fluid. Occasionally, a procedure will accomplish both.
Currently the goal of glaucoma surgery and other glaucoma therapy is to reduce or stabilize intraocular pressure (IOP). When this goal is accomplished, damage to ocular structures – especially the optic nerve – may be prevented.
Macular degeneration is an eye disease that affects the portion of the eye responsible for processing fine detail and providing sharp central vision (called the macula). There is currently no cure for macular degeneration, but there are treatment options that can slow the progress of the disease or improve vision, based on the type of macular degeneration you are experiencing.
Dry macular degeneration treatment actually begins with routine eye exams, especially after age 60. The goal is to catch its development early. If detected, you may be prescribed a specific mix of high-dose zinc and antioxidants that have shown an ability to slow the progression of the disease.
Wet macular degeneration treatment can include a number of options, including laser surgery, light-activated dyes that are injected into the circulatory system, or drugs injected directly into the eye that inhibit the growth of abnormal blood vessels that cause the wet form of the disease.
With any macular degeneration treatment, there are no guarantees that the disease can be stopped, no promises that a treatment won’t need to be repeated, and a sobering reminder that vision, once lost, is rarely restored. To understand the risks and the limitations of all macular degeneration treatments, speak frankly with your eye doctor.
There’s no separating diabetes and vision. If you have diabetes, then you should understand that vision problems increase in likelihood as a result of the disease. Diabetic retinopathy involves swelling, leaking or abnormal growth of blood vessels in or near the retina.
There are multiple stages to this disease, the earliest of which may not present any symptoms you can see. Visible symptoms include dark or black spots in your vision that increase over time, or severely blurred vision due to bleeding within the eye.
That’s why comprehensive eye exams are so important when thinking about diabetes and eye sight – both type 1 and type 2 diabetics are at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy, and the longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop some form of the disease.
Treatments for diabetic retinopathy include replacement of the inner gel inside the eye (called a vitrectomy) and different kinds of laser surgery. A recent clinical trial also suggested that better control of blood sugar levels slows the onset and progression of the disease in many patients.
