Lafayette Family Eye Care

Glaucoma


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Glaucoma is a disease that damages your eye's optic nerve, which is usually due to fluid building up in the front part of your eye. The fluid build-up increases the pressure in your eye, damaging the optic nerve and causing loss in peripheral vision.

Types of Glaucoma

Types of glaucoma:

  • Primary open-angle gluacoma, which is the most common type, happens gradually. Fluid builds up slowly when the eye is not draining fluid as it should. Eventually, the eye pressure builds and damages the optic nerve. With this gradual onset, there is no pain or initial vision changes.
  • Angle-closure glaucoma (also known as closed-angle glaucoma or narrow-angle glaucoma) occurs when the iris, too close to the drainage angle, blocks the drain. When the drainage angle is blocked completely, the eye pressure rises very quickly and results in an acute attack, which should be treat as an eye emergency.

    The symptoms of an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack are:

    • Suddenly blurry vision
    • Severe eye pain
    • Headache
    • Nausea
    • Vomiting
    • Rainbow-colored rings or halos around lights occur in your vision

Treatment

Though glaucoma damage cannot be reversed, medicine and surgery may help to stop further damage. Eye drops that lower eye pressure, often by reducing the amount of aqueous fluid the eye makes, are often used to treat glaucoma. Laser surgery is another option for treatment, as it helps aqueous fluid drain from the eye. This procedure is usually done in an outpatient setting.

Give us a call to schedule an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam today and assess your risk for glaucoma and other eye conditions.

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