Are You at Risk for Developing Glaucoma?

The truth is that anyone can develop glaucoma at any point in their lives. Even babies and children can develop a rare form of early onset glaucoma. However, some groups of people are at more risk than others.

• People over age 60, especially those of Mexican/Hispanic descent
• African Americans and Asians over age 40
• People with a family history of glaucoma
• Prior eye trauma

 
What Is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma occurs from a build-up of pressure due to fluid within the eye. However, some people can get glaucoma without any pressure or fluid build-up around the eye. Glaucoma damages the nerves behind your eye, which interrupts the visual information processed by your brain. In essence, your brain won’t be able to ‘read’ what your eyes see.
This pressure results in a permanent loss of vision, usually beginning with your peripheral vision. After time, your central and forward vision can also be affected, eventually leading to total blindness. Glaucoma can also affect your reading, eventually allowing you to see only one word at a time.

Early Detection and Prevention for Glaucoma
If you fall in one of the risk groups, you should plan to have an eye exam at least every one to two years. We recommend that everyone over the age of 60 get an annual eye exam. And people of African American descent should begin receiving annual eye exams at age 35. Early detection for the prevention and treatment of glaucoma is your best bet to avoid losing any eyesight. Because once your vision is lost, then the loss will be permanent, and it cannot be restored.

Only a comprehensive eye exam by a certified optometrist can identify the presence of glaucoma in your eyes. Dr. Fruchtman performs eye screenings with a variety of technology to detect and diagnose the signs and symptoms of glaucoma.

• Dilation
• Intraocular pressure measurement
• Optic nerve inspection
• Retinal imaging—Available in Florida soon!
• State-of-the-art visual field analyzer

 
A regularly scheduled eye exam will ensure that you stay on top of any developing eye issues before they become a major problem. And if we can catch the appearance of glaucoma early, you’ll have the best chance of maintaining as much of your eyesight as possible.

How We Treat Glaucoma
Treatment and daily management can only reduce the progression of glaucoma. The only viable treatment for the signs and symptoms of glaucoma is to reduce the pressure within the eye. This pressure within the eye is usually relieved by either draining fluid from the eye (through medication) or by using daily medicated eye drops.
 
Call Dr. Fruchtman TODAY to schedule your annual eye exam for glaucoma prevention!
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