Diagnosis and Preventative Care for Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a progressive disease that damages the optic nerve in the eye. This normally happens when excess fluid builds up in the eye, increasing the intraocular pressure (IOP). While there is not a cure for glaucoma, treatment can slow or prevent the progression. If you have glaucoma and fail to treat it, it could eventually cause blindness.

Your optometrist will test for glaucoma during a comprehensive eye examination. Let’s go over the diagnostic process and then some ways you can prevent glaucoma. 

Diagnosing Glaucoma

Your optimist can perform five tests to check for glaucoma. While it’s not always necessary to perform all five tests, your eye doctor will likely perform two or more during your comprehensive eye exam. 

First, your optometrist will likely start with a tonometry test to measure the inner eye pressure. After putting numbing eye drops in your eyes, he or she will use a tonometer to get a pressure reading. 

Next, your optometrist can perform an ophthalmoscopy, or dilated eye exam, to check the optic nerve’s color and shape. Once the pupils are dilated, your optometrist will use a device to magnify the nerve to look for issues. 

A perimetry test might also be required. This visual field test allows your optimist to map your vision and see if it’s been affected by glaucoma.

Then, your optometrist might use a gonioscopy test to examine the angle where the cornea and iris meet. Numbing eye drops are also used for this test, and then the optimist inserts a contact lens in the eye. The mirror of the lens allows the optometrist to see if the angle is narrow, closed, or open. 

Finally, your optimist can perform a pachymetry test to measure your cornea’s thickness. During the test, your optimist will place a pachymeter on the cornea. 

 Preventing Glaucoma

You want to protect yourself from glaucoma, and that starts with regular eye exams. Your optometrist will look for changes during each exam, allowing for early detection. Detecting the disease early is the best way to prevent it from progressing and causing vision loss.

If you’re under 40, you need a comprehensive eye exam every two years. When you reach 40, get a comprehensive eye exam every year. Then, when you turn 65, visit the optometrist for a comprehensive exam every six months. 

You also need to engage in moderate exercise three times a week to lower your intraocular pressure. Keep in mind that the benefits only last when you’re moving, so once you stop moving, your IOP will go back up. That’s why you need to exercise at least three times a week. When you exercise, avoid putting your head below your heart, as that can cause your IOP to increase.

Protecting your eyes is also critical if you want to prevent glaucoma. Eye trauma can cause glaucoma, so if your eyes are in danger, cover them with protective eyewear.

Finally, eat a diet full of foods that promote eye health. These include dark green vegetables and foods that are high in vitamins A, C, D, and E. Foods with omega-3 fatty acids also promote eye health.

Because early diagnosis is so important, you need to undergo regular eye exams. Call Cleburne Eye Clinic at (817) 645-2411 to schedule an appointment.