If you're at a higher risk of glaucoma – for example, if you have a close relative with it – you may be advised to have more frequent tests. You can get an eye test at a local opticians, and the tests are carried out by an optometrist. Find an optician near you.
Specsavers has invested in diagnostic imaging technology to detect glaucoma faster, with more than 7.4 million OCT scans (3.7 million patients) captured in the past year.
Angle exam
Your ophthalmologist uses eye drops to numb your eye, then touches your cornea with a special lens. The lens shows whether the angle is open or closed. If the angle is closed, the drainage system is blocked, which may indicate glaucoma. The test is also called gonioscopy.
The optometrist will use a medicated eye drop to numb the eye before a tiny instrument called a tonometer very gently touches the surface of the cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye) to measure the pressure of the eye. Pressure can also be measured with non-contact tonometry using a warm puff of air.
Ocular hypertension usually doesn't cause any symptoms. You probably won't know you have high eye pressure until an eye care specialist diagnosis it during your eye exam. Without having your eye pressure tested by an eye care specialist, there's usually no way for you to feel or know that you have high eye pressure.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT Scan) Can Diagnose Glaucoma Before All Other Tests. It is arguably the most accurate test in the world to assist our doctors in diagnosing glaucoma.
An eye pressure test (tonometry) uses an instrument called a tonometer to measure the pressure inside your eye. The optometrist will put a small amount of painkilling medicine (anaesthetic) and dye into the front of your eye.
Anyone can get glaucoma, but certain groups are at higher risk. These groups include African Americans over age 40, all people over age 60, people with a family history of glaucoma, and people who have diabetes.
The Problem of Detection of Early Glaucoma
The structural changes at the optic nerve head and nerve fibre layer loss are the most common first signs of glaucoma neuropathy and usually precede the functional visual field deterioration.
Changes of mean IOP according to age. For the cross-sectional study, we used seven age groups classified by decades. Average IOP increased from 12.7 mm Hg in subjects in their 20s to 14.0 mm Hg in those in their 40s. Then IOP decreased from 13.9 mm Hg in those in their 60s to 13.1 mm Hg in those in their 70s.
But not everyone with high eye pressure will develop glaucoma — and some people with normal eye pressure get glaucoma. Whether you develop glaucoma depends on the amount of pressure your optic nerve can handle — and this amount is different for each person. For most people, eye pressure above 21 is higher than normal.
If you have glaucoma, then bright light, computer screens, or the glare of nighttime driving can be really uncomfortable. This may lead you to look for special glasses for glaucoma to help with light sensitivity and other symptoms.
Many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs. The effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is in its later stages. It's important to have regular eye exams that include measurements of your eye pressure. If glaucoma is recognized early, vision loss can be slowed or prevented.
Characteristics of a glaucoma "suspect" include: High intraocular pressure (IOP) or ocular hypertension. Unusual or defective visual fields.
A diagnosis of open-angle glaucoma suspect is established by the presence of a consistently elevated IOP, a suspicious-appearing optic nerve, or an abnormal visual field. Appropriate baseline testing for a glaucoma suspect includes IOP, optic nerve exam, OCT, visual fields, and angle assessment.
stages: stage 0 (normal visual field), stage I (early), stage II (moderate), stage III (advanced), stage IV (severe), and stage V (end-stage).
One of the most frequent questions we get from patients with glaucoma is “Will I go blind?” Glaucoma is indeed a potentially blinding disease. Worldwide, it is the second most common cause for irreversible blindness. However, with early diagnosis and modern treatment, blindness is very uncommon.
Glaucoma is a slowly progressing problem. On an average, untreated Glaucoma takes around 10-15 years to advance from early damage to total blindness. With an IOP (Intraocular Pressure) of 21-25 mmHg it takes 15 yrs to progress, an IOP of 25-30 mmHg around seven years and pressure more than 30 mmHg takes three years.
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. During a glaucoma exam, your ophthalmologist will: measure your eye pressure.
Place the tips of both index fingers on the closed upper eyelid. Keeping both fingertips in contact with the upper eyelid, apply gentle pressure through the closed eyelid, first gently pressing on the eye with the right index finger, then with the left, and then with the right again (Figure 1). Repeat on the other eye.
Summary. Living with glaucoma does not necessarily mean giving up driving. Some drivers with glaucoma learn to scan the visual environment such that they are still safe drivers. However, it is important to have your driving assessed if you or your family and friends are concerned about your driving.
While there isn't a cure for glaucoma, treatments can keep eye pressure under control and prevent vision loss. Eye exams can catch the disease early and save your sight. If you're at high risk for glaucoma, ask your eye doctor how often you need screenings.
Due to the number of tests you'll undergo, you can expect this appointment to last for two to three hours. If you want to find out how our glaucoma specialists can help you prevent vision loss, contact us today at 517.337.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
Seeing halos around lights. Vision loss. Eye redness. Whitening/haziness of the cornea.
Hazy or blurred vision: Distorted or blurry vision accompanied by other symptoms. Eye pain: Severe pain around your eyes & head. Eye redness: Red eyes caused by increased eye pressure. Colored halos around lights: Colored bright circles forming around light sources.