Important Facts You Need To Know About Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an optic nerve disease, which is the structure that connects the eye to the brain. With millions of fibers in this nerve, any sort of damage can prevent visual signals from reaching the brain which can lead to vision loss or blindness.
Glaucoma is an eye disease that degenerates vision over time. This leads to individuals being unaware of the problem until it is too late, as you will not notice the effect on a day to day basis. Vision loss due to glaucoma is permanent so it’s important to have routine eye exams to catch it early on.
What Causes Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is caused when the interior of the eye begins to fill with fluid. In a normal set of eyes, this fluid flows through the eye and exits the tissue. When someone has glaucoma, the eyes produce too much fluid and this begins to build in the eye itself. The pressure of this fluid being present in the eye can then begin to deteriorate vision and damage the optic nerve.
What Are Symptoms of Glaucoma?
In the beginning stages, glaucoma has little to no symptoms. During the early stages, vision is not affected and there is no pain or discomfort. If you are not being regularly checked on with eye appointments, glaucoma can then begin to build up over time. All of a sudden an individual may find themselves with difficulty seeing and no peripheral vision. This will continue to develop until an individual cannot see at all.
Treatment Options for Glaucoma
Although Glaucoma is an eye disease that cannot be cured, treatment can help manage it and reduce its effects. These treatments include:
- Medication
- Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery
- Laser surgery
With a variety of treatment options, you’ll be able to find one that suits you best. The laser surgery helps to drain the fluid, while the surgery and medication help reduce the fluid slowly.
Reclaim Your Quality Of Life
The dedicated and passionate doctors and surgeons at Richens Eye Center want to help you reclaim your quality of life. With some of the best doctors and surgeons in the country, you can count on us to help you gain better vision.
Call us at either of our offices in St. George, UT at 435-986-2020 or 435-628-1112, or our office in Mesquite, NV at 702-346-2950. You can also visit us at www.richenseyecenter.com to schedule an appointment.
