Mcdonald Optical
Get the Glaucoma Treatment You Deserve
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Doctor’s Note: Vision loss due to glaucoma cannot be recovered, so regular eye exams, which include eye pressure measurements, are important in older adults in order to maintain eye health and catch and treat glaucoma early. Generally, patients with glaucoma require treatment for the rest of their life to slow or prevent blindness.
What Is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions often caused by abnormally high pressure in the eye, which damages the optic nerve, the fundamental biological mechanism for turning light in the eye into images in the brain. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in patients over 60 and is more common in older adults. There may be no warning signs for glaucoma as the effects are gradual. Because of this, a patient may not notice vision changes until it reaches an advanced stage.
Symptoms Of Glaucoma
There are several types of glaucoma, and specific symptoms depend on the type. Some examples of common symptoms include:
- Open-angle glaucoma
- Patchy spots in peripheral vision
- Tunnel vision in advanced stages
- Acute angle-closure glaucoma
- Severe headaches
- Eye pain
- Blurred vision
- Halos around light
- Eye redness
Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency. Contact an optometrist immediately if you’re experiencing symptoms of acute angle-closure glaucoma.
Glaucoma Treatments
Treatment will depend on the patient and the type of glaucoma. Generally, glaucoma can be treated with eye drops, oral medication, or various kinds of surgery or laser therapy.
Glaucoma causes blindness if left untreated. Even with treatment, about 15% of patients with glaucoma will become blind in at least one eye within 20 years of being diagnosed. Vision loss can be slowed or prevented if glaucoma is caught early and a treatment plan is developed immediately.
If you’re suffering from glaucoma, schedule an eye exam with one of McDonald Optical’s premier Iowa City eye doctors, and we’ll make sure to get you in and see how we can help.
Contact McDonald Optical at (319)-359-3307 or Book Online Here.
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