Glaucoma

Glaucoma Management

Glaucoma Q&A

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damages your optic nerve. Without a healthy optic nerve, your vision becomes impaired. Glaucoma can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. 

It’s also one of the leading causes of blindness in people over 60 years old. Common types of glaucoma include:

• Open-angle glaucoma
• Acute or chronic angle-closure glaucoma
• Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma

Since most types of glaucoma have no warning signs, you may not realize you have this eye disease until it’s at an advanced stage and you experience vision loss. 

That’s why it’s so important to schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam each year to allow Dr. Tilki to examine the interior of your eyes for the early signs of nerve damage. With glaucoma, once you lose vision, it can’t be recovered.

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

You may not experience any symptoms until glaucoma is an advanced stage, but if you do, typical symptoms include:

Open-angle glaucoma

• Tunnel vision
• Patchy blind spots in your peripheral or central vision

Acute angle-closure glaucoma

• Eye pain and blurred vision
• Headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Halos around lights

Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of this eye disease. If you have this type of glaucoma, pressure in your eye gradually builds up and can damage your optic nerve. 

With angle-closure glaucoma, pressure builds suddenly — acute angle-closure — or gradually, and is a chronic condition. 

If you have a narrow drainage angle in your eyes, meaning fluid in your eye doesn’t flow as freely as it should to maintain stable eye pressure, you may be more susceptible to developing angle-closure glaucoma. 

What is pseudoexfoliation glaucoma?

The most common cause of secondary glaucoma is a condition called pseudoexfoliation. If you have this condition, you’re at risk of developing glaucoma. 

Pseudoexfoliation is a syndrome in which deposits of whitish-gray proteins accumulate on the lens in your eye and throughout the trabecular meshwork — the tissue in your eye. 

How does an ophthalmologist treat glaucoma?

Dr. Tilki treats glaucoma using the latest technology and available therapies, depending on your specific type of glaucoma. The goal of treatment is to lower and stabilize your intraocular eye pressure to prevent the progression of damage to your optic nerve. 

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a form of specialized laser surgery that lowers the pressure in your eye. 

SLT may be a treatment solution for you if your type of glaucoma doesn’t improve with the use of medicated eye drops or oral medications. Tiny drainage tubes, or shunts, may also reduce fluid buildup and lower eye pressure. 

To schedule your next eye exam, call Emerald Eye Center Inc. or request an appointment online today.