Glaucoma Screening From Our Optometrist in South Windsor
At Prudhomme Vision, our optometrist in South Windsor takes great pride in providing you with the eye and vision care services your family needs. From comprehensive eye exams and eyewear to diagnosis and treatment of common eye diseases, our experienced team is here for you. One of the most important services we offer is that of glaucoma screening, which we strongly recommend for those with risk factors or specific symptoms of this all-too-common eye disease.
Causes and Common Risk Factors for Glaucoma
Specifically, glaucoma refers to an eye disease where excess pressure builds up in one or both eyes. If the pressure becomes high enough, it can begin to press against the optic nerve, which is the nerve responsible for sending signals from the eyes to the brain. Eventually, glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss and even blindness if not treated promptly enough.
While glaucoma can occur at any time in life, there are some certain risk factors that may put certain people at a higher risk. For starters, those over the age of 60 tend to be at highest risk of glaucoma, as are those with a family history of the disease. Furthermore, smokers and those with diabetes are also more likely to develop glaucoma at some point in their lives.
Signs and Symptoms of Glaucoma
Glaucoma doesn’t always have any obvious symptoms until it becomes too late to reverse the vision loss. However, some people will experience some symptoms in the early stages of the disease. For example, some people will experience sudden eye pain or difficulty focusing/blurry vision. However, since glaucoma doesn’t usually have early symptoms, it is important to have regular glaucoma screening done, especially if you have any risk factors that put you at a higher-than-average risk.
Glaucoma Treatment/Management Options
In our office, we’re able to perform glaucoma screening independently or as part of your annual eye and vision exam. Specifically, glaucoma screening is a painless process that involves the use of a special machine to read the pressure levels in each of your eyes. The screening takes just a few moments and will alert us to any high-pressure readings.
Specific treatment for glaucoma varies based on the severity of the disease. In most cases, we will first attempt to treat glaucoma with the use of prescription medications or medicated eye drops, which are designed to help reduce pressure inside the affected eye(s). However, if medications are not successful in treating glaucoma, we may need to perform a surgical procedure to alleviate the pressure and protect your vision from further damage.
Our optometry team always takes each patient’s specific needs and lifestyle into consideration when recommending any glaucoma treatment or management plan.
Schedule an Appointment With Our Optometrist in South Windsor
If you’re experiencing symptoms of glaucoma or simply haven’t been screened for this disease in the past year, we recommend that you schedule an appointment with our optometrist in South Windsor today. You can reach Prudhomme Vision to schedule your appointment by calling our office at (860) 644-3364. We proudly serve South Windsor and the surrounding areas of East Hartford, Bloomfield, and Storrs.