Glaucoma Services

Glaucoma is a disease that damages your eye’s optic nerve. It usually happens when fluid builds up in the front part of your eye. That extra fluid increases the pressure in your eye, damaging the optic nerve.

Glaucoma has no symptoms in its early stages. In fact, half the people with glaucoma do not know they have it! Having regular eye exams can help to find this disease before you lose vision.

Can Glaucoma Be Stopped?

Glaucoma damage is permanent—it cannot be reversed. But medicine and surgery help to stop further damage.

Who Is at Risk for Glaucoma?

Some people have a higher than normal risk of getting glaucoma. This includes people who:

• are over age 40
• have family members with glaucoma
• have high eye pressure
• are farsighted or nearsighted
• have had an eye injury
• use long-term steroid medications
• Thinning of optic nerve
• have diabetes, migraines, high blood pressure, poor blood circulation

Glaucoma Diagnosis

The only sure way to diagnose glaucoma is with a complete eye exam. A glaucoma screening that only checks eye pressure is not enough to find glaucoma.

• measure your eye pressure
• inspect your eye's drainage angle
• examine your optic nerve for damage
• test your peripheral (side) vision
• take a picture or computer measurement of your optic nerve
• measure the thickness of your cornea