The Dangers of Glaucoma and the Importance of Early Detection
Understanding eye conditions is important to getting the care and services you need. At ABC Vision, we can provide optometry services and help with diagnostics and treatment of serious eye health conditions such as glaucoma. Keep reading to learn more about glaucoma and how we can help in Sherwood, Portland, and Hillsboro, OR.
What Is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a term used to refer to a group of eye disorders that cause damage to the optic nerve. This is one of the most common types of nerve damage. When left untreated, glaucoma will often lead to vision loss.
Fluid that builds up in the front part of the eye can cause this problem. This fluid buildup will put pressure on the eye. Over time, this will start to damage the optic nerve. This is referred to as eye pressure. Eye pressure is one of the things you will be examined for during a regular eye exam. Measuring this eye pressure can help the optometrist understand if you are at risk for glaucoma. This is one of the reasons why it is vitally important that you keep up with your eye exams at your eye doctor.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
This eye condition can sometimes have very subtle symptoms. Because symptoms are not always obvious, it is very important that you stay up to date with eye exams so that an optometrist from our practice will be able to screen you for this problem.
Symptoms of this condition can include:
- Eye pain
- Headaches
- Red eyes
- Pressure in the eyes
Diagnosis and Treatment
Our eye doctor will be able to check for glaucoma by performing an eye pressure test or other screenings. If it is determined that you have glaucoma or that you are at risk for this condition, a treatment plan can be developed.
Treatments can include:
- Medicated eye drops
- Laser treatment
- Surgery
Prevention
The best way to prevent the development or progression of this condition is with annual eye exams. Even children should have an annual eye exam that not only screens for vision problems, but also check for overall eye health as well.
Contact Us for More Information
If you would like to learn more about glaucoma diagnosis and treatment, or any of our other services, please contact us at ABC Vision serving (503) 625-5599 Sherwood, (503) 473-8039 Portland and (503) 649-7566 Hillsboro, OR. We will be happy to answer your questions and schedule you an appointment today. We provide optometry service for the whole family at our facility.