Glaucoma Treamtent & Symptoms

Dr. Furlong is a board-certified ophthalmologist qualified to treat and operate on all conditions and diseases of the eye. In addition to refractive surgery, Dr. Furlong can also treat glaucoma.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve, usually as a result of increased pressure in the eye. A blockage in the eye's drainage system can cause this increased pressure on the nerve. Damage to the optic nerve, which normally sends messages from the eye to the brain allowing us to see, causes blind spots in the field of vision. If pressure continues and the entire nerve is destroyed, blindness will occur.

Early symptoms of glaucoma are often hard for a patient to detect. In most cases, glaucoma is diagnosed in a routine eye exam before the patient experiences any vision problems. Although there is no cure for it and lost vision cannot be restored, glaucoma can almost always be controlled by early detection and treatment. Treatments can include medicated drops or surgery to lower the pressure in the eye and prevent further damage to the optic nerve. Depending on the type of glaucoma, laser treatment can also be used to improve drainage and reduce pressure. Since glaucoma surgery is relatively safe and effective, it can even be recommended for those people who experience undesirable side effects or poor pressure control with medication.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness and is estimated to affect 1 of every 50 adults. Since the risk of glaucoma increases dramatically after the age of 35, regular eye exams are recommended for people in that age group.

Special thanks goes to the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health for the photos simulating the impact of these eye diseases.