Glaucoma
We check routinely for this condition during eye examinations.
What is Glaucoma and can it be treated?
Glaucoma is a slowly developing, usually painless and symptomless disease (many years) where there is a gradual atrophy (‘dying off’) of individual nerve fibres in the optic nerve at the back of your eye (carrying information to the vision part of your brain). Because the fibres affected early in the disease are associated with vision away from the centre people can be unaware of its presence for many years. The condition may be associated with raised eye pressure but a very significant percentage are not. Treatment is available but it cannot restore vision already lost and thus the earlier the condition is detected by your optometrist the better it is for you.
For Glaucoma we routinely:
- Check the eye pressure with ‘the puff of air’ test
- Verify your peripheral vision sensitivity (flashing lights test)
- Closely examine the optic nerve at the back of your eye with a microscope.
- Ask about family history
What happens if you ‘find something’?
We are part of a Sheffield Primary Care Trust (NHS) sponsored scheme called ‘Glaucoma Referral Refinement’. You will be invited back for a further appointment:
- paid for by the ‘NHS’
- eye pressures will be checked more precisely, as at the hospital
- visual fields will be rechecked
- optic nerve heads (inside and at the back of your eyes) will be examined in greater detail with your pupils enlarged with drops.
The results of the repeated tests will allow us to decide (along with the use of a guide drawn up by eye doctors or ophthalmologists) wheather or not Glaucoma is suspected and if it is, the person will be directly referred to a specialist glaucoma unit at the hospital. This gives you the reassurance that you are being dealt with quickly and effectively, as early detection and treatment will preserve more vision in the long term.
Please phone Daybell & Choo optometrists on 0114 2671828 for further information