Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve that takes information from the eyes to the brain. Most commonly this happens in conjunction with high pressures in the eye. It is known as the silent thief of vision as your visual field is reduced so slowly that you do not realise it is happening. Whilst glaucoma can’t often be cured, we can often halt it in it’s tracks, or slow progression significantly. Glaucoma is often suspected by your optometrist, and then our state of the art diagnostic equipment coupled with expert doctors, will help diagnose and monitor the condition.
Often glaucoma has no symptoms. This is why it is really important to have regular eye tests with your optometrist. They will detect the early signs of glaucoma and send you for the full suite of investigations. There are several risk factors for glaucoma, the most important being family history, so if anyone in your family has glaucoma it is important you have an eye health check every year. Once a diagnosis has been made, an appropriate treatment or monitoring program will be agreed with you.
Once diagnosed, treatment options for glaucoma might include; eye drops, laser or surgery, or a combination of these treatments. Your ophthalmologist at REAL will form a treatment plan taking into consideration a host of different factors, and will discuss the options available, before making their recommendations. Treatment is effective, but usually requires long term monitoring, and as such we look forward to a long relationship maintaining your sight.
