Glaucoma takes vision so gradually — and so painlessly — that roughly half the people who have it don't know it. By the time symptoms appear, permanent damage has usually already occurred. The entire strategy against glaucoma is early detection and steady monitoring, and it is a core part of our medical practice.
Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve — the cable carrying vision from eye to brain — most often related to fluid pressure inside the eye. It takes peripheral (side) vision first, in a pattern so gradual the brain fills in the gaps; there is no pain and nothing to notice until the loss becomes significant. Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored — but caught early, further loss can almost always be slowed or stopped.
The common form (open-angle glaucoma) develops silently over years. A less common form (angle-closure) can also build slowly or, rarely, strike suddenly — a painful red eye with blurred vision and halos is an emergency.
Detection and monitoring rest on a set of precise measurements: eye pressure, laser scans (OCT) that measure the optic nerve's fiber layer to a fraction of a millimeter, retinal photographs compared year over year, and visual field testing that maps your peripheral vision. Comparing these measurements over time is how glaucoma is caught at the stage where treatment protects your sight.
When treatment is needed, glaucoma is usually controlled with prescription eye drops that lower eye pressure — prescribed, managed, and monitored here in our office. A minority of cases need laser treatment or surgery, and for those we refer to and coordinate with a surgical specialist.
Because glaucoma announces itself only after it has done harm, the regular eye-health exam is the defense — especially if any risk factor above applies to you.
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