Glaucoma
A disease without symptoms, silently affecting the vision of millions every year
Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve - the part of the eye that carries the images we see to the brain. The optic nerve is made up of many nerve fibers, like an electric cable containing numerous wires. When damage to the optic nerve fibers occurs, blind spots develop. These blind spots usually go undetected until the optic nerve is significantly damaged. If the entire optic nerve is destroyed, blindness results.
Texas Eye Care is committed to your vision, and has unique technology that can detect glaucoma in its early stages, before damage to your eyesight takes place.
Am I at risk?
Everyone is at risk for glaucoma. However, some people have a higher than normal risk of getting glaucoma. This includes people who:
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Are over age 40
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Have family members with glaucoma
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Are of African or Hispanic heritage
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Have high eye pressure
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Are farsighted or nearsighted
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Have had an eye injury
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Have corneas that are thin in the center
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Have thinning of the optic nerve
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Have diabetes, migraine, poor circulation, or other health problems affecting the whole body
The only sure way to diagnose glaucoma is with a complete eye exam with your ophthalmologist.
detection & diagnosis
Diagnosis is the first step to preserving your vision. Our state of the art technology can help us to detect your glaucoma - early enough to manage before the damage.
Standard testing for glaucoma includes screening for damage that glaucoma has already caused. With our specialty-trained team and advanced technology, we are able to perform a "icVEP" test, designed to detect glaucoma at its early stages, even before damage to eyesight has taken place.
Your glaucoma evaluation will be a comprised analysis with the best technology available. It will include:
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Optical Coherence Tomography - computerized analysis of your optic nerve, retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell layer
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Measure your eye pressure
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Inspecting your eye's drainage angle
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Examining your optic nerve for damage
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Testing your peripheral (side) vision
Once diagnosed, treatment with your ophthalmologist can start immediately
Treatment
Ongoing treatment of glaucoma from your ophthalmologist is necessary to manage the disease and to prevent blindness. Treatment can include drop therapy, laser treatment, or other minimally invasive options.
DROPS
You may be prescribed one or more eye drops to take regularly as instructed to manage your eye pressures. Drops may be necessary as frequent as 3x per day. This will be determined and prescribed by your ophthalmologist.
Eligible patients may experience the benefits of on-site laser treatment to lower eye pressure and greatly reduce the need for eye drops.
No Downtime
No Pain
No Restrictions
LASER
Designed to decrease the amount of fluid production in the eye, or to help the fluid to flow out of the eye - these minimally invasive techniques can help patients to better control their eye pressure with fewer medications.