Glaucoma | Howard Optometry | Signal Hill

Helping You Manage the “Sneak Thief of Sight”

If you’re unfamiliar with glaucoma, you may assume it’s not a concern. However, this disease is a leading cause of blindness for patients over 60.

Called the sneak thief of sight, glaucoma can develop symptom-free until your vision is affected. You may not know you have this disease until vision loss occurs. Glaucoma can be dangerous for your vision, but we have the technology to diagnose and treat this disease as early as possible.

Visit one of our locations, and we can help diagnose and manage glaucoma. Our team is here to protect your eye health and vision.

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What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage your optic nerve, an essential part of your vision. Glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss if left untreated, but this disease can progress symptom-free until your vision is affected. You may not even know you have glaucoma until vision loss occurs.

While glaucoma can develop with limited symptoms, we can identify signs of this disease as early as possible. When we identify glaucoma early, we can recommend a treatment plan to help prevent potential vision loss.

How We Test for Glaucoma

Because of the risk glaucoma presents, we test for this disease during every eye exam. There are several tests we can complete to assess your risk and diagnose this problem.

One aspect of your eyes we look at is intraocular pressure (IOP). Your IOP is the eye’s internal fluid pressure. High IOP increases your risk of glaucoma, so we regularly test it.

We test for glaucoma using anterior segment optical coherence tomography, Goldmann applanation tonometry, non-contact tonometry, and pachymetry.

Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography

Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography is beneficial when testing for glaucoma, helping us look at the drainage angle in your eye located near your iris. Scanning the front of your eye can help us identify your risk for different types of glaucoma.

Goldmann Applanation Tonometry

Applanation tonometry uses a small probe to flatten the cornea and measure your IOP. We typically use numbing eye drops to increase comfort as the probe touches your eye.

Non-Contact Tonometry

Non-contact tonometry is a way to measure your IOP without touching the eye. We use a puff of air to flatten the cornea and measure its resistance, giving us your IOP.

Pachymetry

Pachymetry is a fast, painless test used to measure the thickness of your cornea. Knowing the thickness of your cornea can help us get a more accurate reading of your IOP. For example, a thicker cornea may lead to higher IOP, and knowing your corneal thickness can help us determine if you’re at risk for glaucoma.

Managing Glaucoma

We can recommend a management plan after diagnosing glaucoma to help protect your eye health and vision. Treatments for this disease typically focus on lowering your internal eye pressure to prevent unnecessary damage. There are several ways to do this, depending on the type of glaucoma affecting you.

Common ways of treating glaucoma include prescription eye drops, laser treatments, and surgery. We’ll recommend the treatments we feel best meet your unique needs.

Protect Your Sight

Glaucoma can be a significant risk for your eye health and vision, but we can help manage this disease. Our team aims to diagnose glaucoma as early as possible, preventing further damage to your sight. This disease can develop with little to no symptoms, so ensure you book regular eye exams to care for your ocular health.

Book an appointment with us when it’s time for your next eye exam.