Glaucoma

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye causing progressive irreversible vision loss. Sometimes, but not always, glaucoma may be associated with elevated eye pressures. The vision loss is usually gradual and begins in the peripheral (side) vision before people are aware of any problem. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in Australia, affecting around three in 100 people over the age of 35. It is estimated that over 300,000 Australians have Glaucoma, yet 50% of people are unaware they have it, thinking they have healthy eyes! Anyone may develop glaucoma, but some people are at higher risk –

• Have a family history of Glaucoma 
• Have high eye pressure 
• Are over 50 years old 
• Have diabetes 
• Are of African or Asian descent 
• Have been on prolonged course of steroid medication
• Have had an eye operation or eye injury 
• Are short-sighted or long-sighted
• Experience obstructive sleep apnoea

Since glaucoma can be insidious, and cannot be self-detected, only an optometrist or an ophthalmologist can determine if you have glaucoma or not during comprehensive routine examination. Additional investigations including Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans of the optic nerve and surrounding tissue can track the progression of existing glaucoma. Measurement of the visual fields also help to monitor your peripheral vision. Although there is no cure for glaucoma, when diagnosed early, glaucoma can be highly treatable with eye drops or further SLT laser eye procedure (performed by ophthalmologists) to lower eye pressure and improve the drainage of fluid in the eye. Every diagnosis can prevent blindness from glaucoma. That is why it is so important to detect the problem as early as possible.