Glaucoma: Silent Thief of Vision

Glaucoma is a progressive, degenerative disease of the optic nerve that can lead to permanent vision loss.  It is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.  3 million people in America have
glaucoma and approximately 50% of people don't know they have it by because it is symptomless. However, with early detection and treatment, vision loss can be prevented.  Various forms of glaucoma exist and most forms have ​no pain or symptoms ​ .  Glaucoma is screened for and detected during your annual eye exam.

There are many risk factors for glaucoma.  Some of these risk factors include:  ● Age over 40 ● African American, Asian, or Hispanic descent ● a family history of glaucoma ● being highly nearsightedness or farsighted ● history of ocular injury ● diabetes ● sleep apnea ● use of certain medications such as steroids

The treatment for glaucoma may include eye drops, laser procedures, and/or surgery.

Currently, there are no therapies that prevent glaucoma.  The best practice is have annual exams for early detection and treatment. ​  Advancing technology allows us to detect glaucoma earlier than ever, thereby preserving your vision for years to come.


Written by Dr. Vandana Gandhi
09/14/2019

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

It's a new year and what better resolution than leading a healthier lifestyle in 2014. One item on everyone's list this year seems to be heading back to the gym - to improve their fitness level, or just eating healthier overall for a better quality of life, but many don’t think about their eye health when making their new year’s resolutions

January has been named National Glaucoma Awareness month by Prevent Blindness America to help promote the importance of regular annual eye exams.  Today close to three million people actually have Glaucoma, but some of them do not even realize it because there are often no warning symptoms.  Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States of America and the first major leading cause of preventable blindness. Approximately 120,000 Americans are mostly blind because they suffer from Glaucoma, accounting for 9% to 12% of all cases of blindness in the United States of America. The condition is also 6 to 8 times more common to be found in African-Americans than in Caucasians. 

Glaucoma is an eye disease which damages the optic nerve (the pathway for vision between the brain and eye) in the back of the eye most often when eye pressure is elevated in an individual’s eye for an extended period of time.  This process can often decrease peripheral vision without symptoms, thus earning it the moniker of “the silent thief of sight”.  As such, annual eye exams are the number one deterrent from individuals suffering vision loss caused by Glaucoma and other preventable eye diseases. This is because even in a routine eye examination, your eye doctor can detect signs and/or risk factors of Glaucoma. 

Many patients are familiar with the dreaded “air-puff test” which is one method of measuring eye pressure, but there are also other methods – such as the Icare Tonometer which measures intraocular pressure (IOP) with no drops or puff of air required for a more comfortable and accurate assessment.  If Glaucoma is detected early enough, there are many steps that can be taken in order to maintain the amount of healthy vision one currently has through topical (eye drops), laser, or even surgical treatments.

Though it may be down your resolution list a bit, making it a point to see your eye doctor for regularly scheduled eye exams is a must in order to keep seeing your best in 2014. It does not matter whether you wear corrective lenses or not, or even if you think your eyes are in perfect condition. Getting a regular eye exam is a necessary part of your overall healthcare regimen, and vital to make sure you are able to continue maintaining healthy vision. So make sure you make an annual eye exam a part of your healthier lifestyle in 2013 and keep seeing your best all year round.

National Glaucoma Awareness Month

As we get closer to the new year, what better resolution than leading a healthier lifestyle. One item on everyone's list for the upcoming year seems to be heading back to the gym - to improve their fitness level, or just eating healthier overall for a better quality of life. However, how many of you think about going to the eye doctor more often for preventative vision and eye healthcare? Though it may be down your resolution list a bit, making it a point to see your eye doctor for regularly scheduled eye exams is a must in order to keep seeing your best. It does not matter whether you wear corrective lenses or not, or even if you think your eyes are in perfect condition. Getting a regular eye exam is a necessary part of your overall healthcare regimen, and vital to make sure you are able to continue maintaining healthy vision. One national organization, Prevent Blindness America is helping promote the importance of regular annual eye exams by recognizing January as Glaucoma Awareness Month. Today close to three million people actually have Glaucoma, but some of them do not even realize it because there are often no warning symptoms. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States of America and the first major leading cause of preventable blindness. Approximately 120,000 Americans are mostly blind because they suffer from Glaucoma, accounting for 9% to 12% of all cases of blindness in the United States of America. The condition is also 6 to 8 times more common to be found in African-Americans than in Caucasians. Glaucoma is an eye disease which damages the optic nerve (the pathway for vision between the brain and eye) in the back of the eye most often when eye pressure is elevated in an individual’s eye for an extended period of time. This process can often decrease peripheral vision without symptoms, thus earning it the moniker of “the silent thief of sight”. As such, annual eye exams are the number one deterrent from individuals suffering vision loss caused by Glaucoma and other preventable eye diseases. This is because even in a routine eye examination, your eye doctor can detect signs and/or risk factors of Glaucoma. Many patients are familiar with the dreaded “air-puff test” which is one method of measuring eye pressure, but there are also other methods – such as the Icare Tonometer which measures intraocular pressure (IOP) with no drops or puff of air required for a more comfortable and accurate assessment. If Glaucoma is detected early enough, there are many steps that can be taken in order to maintain the amount of healthy vision one currently has through topical (eye drops), laser, or even surgical treatments. So make sure you make an annual eye exam a part of your healthier lifestyle and keep seeing your best all year round.

Glaucoma Awareness Month and Annual Eye Exams

It's a new year and what better resolution than leading a healthier lifestyle in 2012. One item on everyone's list this year seems to be heading back to the gym - to improve their fitness level, or just eating healthier overall for a better quality of life. However, how many of you think about going to the doctor more often for preventative health care screenings? Though it may be down your resolution list a bit, making it a point to see your eye doctor for regularly scheduled eye exams is a must in order to keep seeing your best in 2012 and beyond. It does not matter whether you wear corrective lenses or not, or even if you think our eyes are in perfect condition. Getting a regular eye exam is a necessary part of your overall health care, and vital to make sure you continue with healthy vision. Prevent Blindness America is helping promote the importance of regular annual eye exams by recognizing January as Glaucoma Awareness Month. Close to three million people actually have glaucoma, but half of them do not realize it because there are often no warning symptoms. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States of America and the first major leading cause of preventable blindness. Approximately 120,000 Americans are mostly blind because they suffer from glaucoma, accounting for 9% to 12% of all cases of blindness in the United States of America. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among the African-American population in the U.S. as well. The condition is 6 to 8 times more common to be found in African-Americans than in Caucasians. Annual eye exams are the number one deterrent from individuals suffering vision loss from Glaucoma and other preventable eye diseases. This is because even in a routine eye examination, your eye doctor can detect signs and/or risk factors of glaucoma. If the condition is detected early enough their are many steps that can be taken to maintain the amount of healthy vision you currently have through topical (eye drops), laser, or surgical treatments. So make sure you make an annual eye exam a part of your healthier lifestyle in 2012 and keep seeing your best this year and beyond.

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month!

Glaucoma has often been referred to as "the silent thief of sight", due to the fact that many symptoms of the disease can affect you without your knowledge. This is because glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve and can reduce your peripheral vision without you noticing any change.
Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness today and affects over 4 million americans. Glaucoma is 6 to 8 times more common in African Americans than Caucasians.

According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, "The best way to protect your sight from glaucoma is to get a comprehensive eye examination. Then, if you have glaucoma, treatment can begin immediately."

New technologies are also helping detect glaucoma in patients earlier, leading to initiating treatments faster, and thus helping preserve vision. One type of this technology is found in scanning lasers that are able to effectively show the retinal nerve fiber layer and the optic nerve head. Two such instruments that effectively use this type of technology are the OCT, and GDX.
These instruments work by helping your eye doctor map out the retinal nerve fiber layer and thus examine your risk for glaucoma and track any progression of the disease. If you have a family history of glaucoma, are over 40 years old, or have other risk factors an annual comprehensive eye exam is a must to help rule out the presence of glaucoma.

A Glaucoma Test in a Contact Lens?

Advances in technology are all around us today, and if you want to stay on the cutting edge then you have to keep up to date with the latest information and constantly be on the lookout for what's next in your industry.

Eyecare is no different and if you are standing still then you will be left behind, so it is important to keep an eye on some of the emerging technologies out there to see if the knowledge behind the technology, the practicality of its use, and the evolving industry's practices can combine to support its overall implementation.

The picture above represents an interesting technology that is on the horizon, it is a contact lens that measures your intraocular pressure throughout the day. The information yielded from this contact lens could be particularly valuable in the area of glaucoma management because the main area of treatment in glaucoma is controlling intraocular pressure.

Glaucoma, which is an eye disease where eye pressure is often elevated causing optic nerve damage and peripheral vision loss, can present with varying intraocular pressure readings throughout the span of an entire day. Thus, monitoring intraocular pressure through a contact lens in someone with suspected glaucoma or one who is being treated for glaucoma would present a wealth of information to possibly help prevent damage to the eye from glaucoma and related eye diseases.

Read more about this exciting technology now being studied in Europe, by clicking here .