Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. When detected and treated early by an eye care professional, Stanislav Ilyusha, OD, of Vistasite Eye Care of Sheepshead Bay in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, you greatly reduce the risk of developing complications or experiencing vision loss. Call today or use the online tool to schedule your glaucoma screening.

What is glaucoma?

About 3 million Americans have glaucoma. It describes a condition in which excess fluid builds up and increases pressure in your eye. The pressure damages the optic nerve and can cause you to lose your vision over time. 

Glaucoma doesn’t usually have outward symptoms until you’ve experienced vision loss. That’s why regular screenings are important, especially if you’re at a higher risk of developing the condition. Early diagnosis leads to treatments that can save your vision.

Glaucoma is most common in older adults, but younger patients can experience it as well. 

What are the types of glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a set of diseases that include:

Open-angle glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma accounts for 90% of all cases. It occurs when your drainage canals become clogged, and pressure builds up behind the eye. The pressure increases slowly over time so you won’t notice any symptoms at first.

Vision loss due to open-angle glaucoma first starts with the peripheral, or side, vision.

Closed-angle glaucoma

Closed-angle glaucoma is much rarer and occurs when a sudden blockage prevents fluid from flowing out of the eye. The sudden and quick rise in eye pressure is an emergency.  

If you experience closed-angle glaucoma symptoms, like sudden eye or headache pain, blurred vision, and rainbow-colored halos around bright lights, seek immediate care.

How do you diagnose glaucoma?

Glaucoma screenings are part of your routine eye exam. The doctor measures the pressure inside your eye with a procedure called optical coherence tomography. The test can determine if the optic nerve has damage. Your doctor may also have you undergo retinal photography, which involves taking an image of the back of the eye to observe the optic nerve and retina. 

If you have signs of glaucoma, you’ll undergo a visual field test to assess your peripheral and central vision. 

How do you treat glaucoma?

It can't be restored if you’ve lost vision due to glaucoma. Glaucoma has no cure, but its progression can be stopped. That’s why it’s important to schedule routine eye exams. When glaucoma is caught early, you minimize any negative effects. 

If you do have glaucoma, you can benefit from prescription eye drops that help lower your eye pressure and preserve your vision.

Call Vistasite Eye Care of Sheepshead Bay to schedule your eye exam, or use this website to book online.