DIAGNOSING GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma is a difficult disease because there may not symptoms to warn you that you may have it. The most common type of glaucoma, Primary Open Angle Glaucoma, has virtually no symptoms and no pain. At times vision loss begins with your peripheral, or side vision, but you may compensate for this involuntarily by turning your head to the side and not notice anything until substantial vision is lost. Half the people who have glaucoma may not know they have it.

The only way to protect your vision is to get tested so that treatment can begin immediately. Regular eye exams are an important means of diagnosing glaucoma in its early stages and will include:

• Tonometry – a simple and painless measurement of the pressure in the eye
• Opthalmolscopy – an examination of the back of the eye to observe the health of the optic nerve
• Visual Field Test – a check for the development of abnormal blind spots

To schedule an eye exam click here or call 1-800 EYECARE. Early detection and treatment is crucial for protecting your vision.