More than 2.2 million Americans aged 40 and older have been diagnosed with glaucoma. However, many more may be unaware that they have this potentially blinding disease because they have no symptoms at first. Knowing your risk factors and scheduling regular eye examinations are important for early detection and treatment of glaucoma.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a condition in which the optic nerve is damaged. The optic nerve is the part of the eye that carries the images we see to the brain. Damage to the nerve is usually associated with elevated pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure). However, other factors can be involved and can lead to vision loss.

Although there is no cure for glaucoma, vision loss can usually be prevented or slowed if treatment is started early. Vision loss due to glaucoma cannot be restored, and if left untreated, glaucoma can lead to blindness. For these reasons, regular eye examinations are important.

What are the symptoms?

Many people are unaware that they have glaucoma because there may be no symptoms at first. As the disease progresses, a person with glaucoma may notice his or her vision gradually failing.

Symptoms include blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, difficulty focusing on objects, and the presence of halos around lights.

What are the risk factors?

African-Americans over age 40, people with a family history of glaucoma, individuals over age 60, those who have experienced a serious eye injury, and people with other health conditions such as diabetes are considered at risk.

How is glaucoma treated?

Several methods are available to lower ocular pressure due to glaucoma. Options may include eye drops, laser treatment, or surgery. Your ophthalmologist can recommend treatment depending on the type and severity of your glaucoma.

Can glaucoma be treated with a laser?

Laser surgery has become increasingly popular as an intermediate step between medications and traditional surgery. Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a relatively new laser treatment for open-angle glaucoma. SLT uses short pulses of low energy laser light to target melanin-containing cells in a network of tiny channels, called the trabecular meshwork. The objective of SLT is to help fluids drain out of the eye, reducing intraocular pressure that can cause damage to the optic nerve and loss of vision.

Laser treatment for glaucoma is brief and painless. At Armstrong Colt George Ophthalmology’s state-of-the-art Hatboro location (Montgomery County, PA), the most advanced laser equipment is utilized for in-office treatment of glaucoma.