Glaucoma

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve that transmits visual information to your brain is badly damaged. There are two main types of glaucoma: open-angle and angle-closure. Both can cause serious vision problems, and eventually vision loss.

What the difference between open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma?

To understand the difference, it's important to know about your eye's inner network. In the front part of your eye, you have fluid known as the aqueous humor that helps your eyes stay healthy. 

You continually make new fluid, and it drains through your eye's inner drainage system, which has two components called the trabecular meshwork and uveoscleral outflow. But, if you have glaucoma, there's a problem with drainage. 

Open-angle glaucoma

In open-angle glaucoma, your trabecular meshwork doesn't drain fluid as efficiently as it should, and this increases your intraocular pressure. Often, open-angle glaucoma doesn’t cause symptoms in the early stages, but as the disease progresses, you could slowly lose your vision.

Angle-closure glaucoma

In angle-closure glaucoma, both of your inner-eye drainage paths are blocked. This is often triggered when your iris pushes against your cornea. Angle-closure glaucoma is an emergency. 

It can cause severe eye pain, sudden visual disturbances, blurry vision, and halos around lights among other symptoms. If untreated, angle-closure glaucoma could render you blind in a few days or less. 

If you suspect either kind of glaucoma, seek help immediately. Woodcliff Lake Ophthalmology offers solutions to preserve your vision. 

How is glaucoma diagnosed?

The Woodcliff Lake Ophthalmology specialists diagnose glaucoma after a comprehensive eye exam, along with specialized testing. Some of the different tests used in glaucoma diagnosis can include:

• Intraocular pressure measurement
• Digital optic nerve scan and analysis
• Optic nerve photos
• Peripheral vision tests
• Corneal thickness measurement

Your ophthalmologist screens for glaucoma during comprehensive eye exams. If you have potential signs of glaucoma during the standard exam, such as high intraocular pressure, your ophthalmologist typically performs the other diagnostic tests as confirmation.

How can I save my vision if I have glaucoma?

Your treatment depends on the type of glaucoma you have and the severity of your vision loss. Your Woodcliff Lake Ophthalmology ophthalmologist may prescribe eye drops to halt glaucoma progression. 

Laser therapy, which your ophthalmologist can often perform in-office, is another option for glaucoma treatment. With this type of treatment, your ophthalmologist uses a laser to create improved drainage and reduce your intraocular pressure. 

Finally, you may need advanced glaucoma surgery to create a new drainage angle or implant a device for drainage if you have severe glaucoma. 

The Woodcliff Lake Ophthalmology team is your partner in glaucoma management, so reach out by phone or through the online scheduler for glaucoma care now.