Can you have glaucoma and not know it?
San Diego glaucoma treatment
Glaucoma is very common. Official estimates indicate that about 3 million Americans have glaucoma. This very serious eye disease is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.
In people with glaucoma, the pressure inside the eye goes up. This causes damage to the optic nerve, which is the structure that carries information from the eye to the brain. If glaucoma is caught early and treated, the loss of vision can often be prevented. However, although glaucoma is extremely common, many people don’t even know that they’re affected.
Half of people don’t know they have glaucoma
The CDC estimates that half of people with glaucoma don’t even know that they have it. This is because glaucoma often causes no symptoms, especially in its early stages. Once the loss of vision occurs, it generally begins around the edges of your visual field, so it’s easy to overlook. By the time it reaches the central parts of your visual field, the disease is fairly advanced. Vision loss is generally irreversible, so it’s important to catch the disease early. Medications and surgical treatments are available to help reduce the pressure in the eye, preventing vision loss.
Anyone can potentially get glaucoma, but some people are at higher risk. The risk factors for glaucoma include:
- Race. African-Americans are 6 to 8 times more likely to develop glaucoma.
- Age. For most racial groups, people over age 60 are at higher risk. For African-Americans, people over age 40 are considered to be at higher risk.
- Diabetes. People who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop glaucoma. (There are also other eye diseases associated with diabetes, like diabetic retinopathy.)
- Family history. People who have relatives with glaucoma are more likely to develop it themselves.
How can you know whether you have glaucoma?
A comprehensive dilated eye exam will allow an eye doctor to determine whether you have glaucoma. Your eye doctor will use advanced instruments to measure your eye pressure. This process is not painful at all, and is very quick. During the exam, your eye doctor will also examine your eyes and test your vision to determine whether you already have damage to your eyes.
People in higher-risk groups should have a comprehensive eye exam every year. This includes people over 60 (or over 40 for African-Americans), people with diabetes, and people with a strong family history of glaucoma. For younger people with no known risk factors, you can get eye exams a little less often, but it’s still important to get them regularly. In general, those under 40 should go to the eye doctor every two to three years, and between 40 and 60, every one to two years is recommended.
If you have any vision problems and use glasses or contacts, you may need to go to the eye doctor every year to ensure that your prescription is up to date. Eye pressure testing will be performed during these exams, so you’ll know whether you have glaucoma. However, even if you don’t use any corrective lenses and you don’t have any problems with your vision, regular eye exams are still crucial in order to screen for issues like glaucoma.
San Diego glaucoma treatment
If you haven’t had an eye exam recently, we strongly encourage you to schedule one as soon as possible. If you have glaucoma, early treatment can help to save your vision. If you’re in the San Diego area, we invite you to schedule an appointment with one of our friendly and highly experienced optometrists. We use the most advanced technology to provide you with the best possible eye care experience. Please contact our front desk to book your appointment.
