Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that affects many people all over the world. Fortunately, there are several things that can be done if you've recently been diagnosed with glaucoma. If you suspect that you may have this disease, make an appointment as soon as possible for a glaucoma screening. The sooner you get a diagnosis, the more options you'll have for your treatment and the more of your vision may be saved. We at Modern Eyes Optometry serving Carlsbad, CA, know a lot about eye care and glaucoma treatment. Our eye doctor is here to help.
How Glaucoma Works
Glaucoma is a disease that affects the optic nerve due to a low amount of pressure in the eye. This means that many people don't know that they have a problem until they start noticing dark spots or floaters in their field of vision. This problem is often followed by a narrowing of the visions field, also known as tunnel vision. Essentially, the optic nerve and the eye may start to focus on the things that are immediately in front of the face since they are too damaged to process visual information coming from other places.
If the condition is caught early, before these symptoms become too noticeable, there are a lot of options for eye care treatment.
One of the very first treatments that is attempted with all glaucoma patients is prescription eye drops. There are several different types of drops that can address low pressure in the eye, bring eye pressure back up to a range where there will not be further damage to the optic nerve. Many brands of eye drops work by either inhibiting the production of fluid in the eye or causing the eye to expel this fluid more rapidly than usual.
If the glaucoma is more severe, an oral medication can be prescribed in addition to eye drops or as a replacement for them. This medication may work by inhibiting the production of eye fluid. Both eye drops and oral medication can be prescribed before a patient notices symptoms of glaucoma.
There are several different types of glaucoma surgery that may be warranted if eye drops, and oral medications don't work well enough to control symptoms. If your disease has progressed to this point, our optometrist can discuss several different methods with you.
Visit Us for Eye Care and Glaucoma Treatment from Our Eye Doctor
If you live in the Carlsbad, CA, area and you suspect you may have glaucoma, give our eye doctor a call at (760) 678-0008 for Modern Eyes Optometry. Early diagnosis is the key to preserving your sight and avoiding surgery down the road. Our optometrist is here to help with eye care and glaucoma treatment.