Glaucoma – The Silent Thief of Vision

Author: Dr. Paul Kirschner

Glaucoma is a disease that affects the eye leading to progressive damage to the retinal cells.  This can result in irreversible damage to the optic nerve which can in turn result in significant loss of vision or blindness.

If detected at an early stage and treated promptly, glaucoma can be controlled and further vision loss can be minimized.  High risk candidates for glaucoma may include:

People that have a family history of glaucoma

People that are diabetic or hypertensive

People of African-American decent

People that have thin corneas and/or high intra-ocular pressure

If  left untreated, typically peripheral vision followed by central vision is affected. Most glaucoma cases that we at Kirschner Vision Group treat, develop slowly and painlessly with no warning signs or blurred vision.  Simply stated, folks developing glaucoma just do not realize they have a problem.

Glaucoma can be detected during a comprehensive vision examination.  A simple painless procedure known as tonometry measures the internal pressure of the eye.  This test along with a careful evaluation of the structure and function of your optic nerve, will either rule out the possibility of glaucoma or confirm the possibility of its existence; which can then be further quantified with visual field testing and a test of your corneal thickness.

If glaucoma is diagnosed, first line treatment typically involves the use of regular prescription eye drops that will reduce the eye pressure and help to prevent loss of vision.

In summary, I would like to advise and stress the importance of regular eye exams.  Our goal is to make sure you outlive any possible devastating vision loss.

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