Your eyes are essential to your health and well-being, and regular eye exams are vital for maintaining good vision and detecting eye diseases early on. One such disease is glaucoma, a serious condition that can cause permanent vision loss if left untreated. Glaucoma often goes unnoticed in its early stages and can cause significant damage before symptoms appear. That is why it is essential to schedule regular eye exams with your eye doctor to catch Prospect Lefferts Gardens glaucoma early and prevent permanent vision loss.
If you are concerned about glaucoma or other eye-related issues, scheduling a comprehensive eye exam with your eye doctor is the first step toward identifying potential problems. During your exam, your eye doctor will evaluate various factors to assess your overall eye health.
Here is why regular eye exams are so important in catching glaucoma early:
- Prevent vision loss: Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can cause vision loss or even blindness. By detecting glaucoma early, your eye doctor can prescribe medications or other treatments to help slow or prevent further vision loss. This is crucial because it cannot be restored once vision is lost due to glaucoma.
- Identify risk factors for glaucoma: Individuals with certain risk factors, such as family history, advanced age, or certain medical conditions, are more likely to develop glaucoma. Regular eye exams can help identify these risk factors and allow for early disease detection. This can help individuals take preventative measures, such as taking medication or making lifestyle changes, to lower their risk of developing glaucoma.
- Offer more effective treatments: By detecting glaucoma early, your eye doctor can prescribe treatments more likely to slow or prevent vision loss. Early detection also means that the disease may be less advanced, which can increase the effectiveness of treatments.
- Help detect other eye conditions: In addition to catching glaucoma early, regular eye exams can also help detect other eye conditions and diseases, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Like glaucoma, many conditions are asymptomatic until advanced, making regular eye exams essential for early detection and treatment.
- Reveal underlying health issues: Your eyes can explain your overall health. Regular eye exams can reveal underlying health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, or thyroid problems. Catching these conditions early can lead to earlier treatment and better health outcomes.
If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, here are some of the recommended treatment options:
- Eye drops: Eye drops are usually the first line of treatment for glaucoma. These drops work by reducing the production of aqueous humor or increasing fluid outflow from the eye.
- Laser therapy: Laser therapy can treat both open-angle and closed-angle glaucoma. In laser trabeculoplasty, a laser improves fluid drainage from the eye by opening up the trabecular meshwork.
- Surgery: Surgery may be necessary if eye drops and laser therapy are ineffective. Trabeculectomy is a surgical procedure in which a small flap is created in the eye to allow fluid to drain.
Visit LaSante Health Center to speak to your eye doctor about glaucoma.
