Do you need Glaucoma Testing & Treatment, in Austin, Texas?
We offer advanced glaucoma screening and the latest glaucoma treatments.
Glaucoma is described as an abnormal buildup of pressure inside your eyes. As this detrimental eye disease progresses, it will cause permanent vision loss. When left untreated for a few years, glaucoma can lead to total blindness.
At Freedom Eye Care, our Austin eye doctors will perform a glaucoma test as part of your comprehensive eye exam. During the early stages of the disease, glaucoma symptoms may be absent, and a thorough evaluation of your eye health is the only reliable way to detect the condition.
Our Austin eye care clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art optometric technology that will diagnose glaucoma accurately.
Who is at high risk for Glaucoma?
- The disease is age-related, with a higher incidence occurring above the age of 40
- Family history – if any family members have glaucoma, this is a significant risk factor
- African-Americans; after age 35, a glaucoma test is recommended every 1 – 2 years
- People with diabetes or hypertension
- Hispanic Americans in older population groups
- People who treat asthma with steroid inhalers should undergo glaucoma screening regularly
- History of eye injury; secondary open-angle glaucoma may develop in response to an eye injury
What is Glaucoma Screening?
Although increased pressure inside your eye is generally the main indication of glaucoma, there are other glaucoma symptoms that can be detected during an eye exam by our optometrists in Austin, Texas. In addition to a glaucoma test done with specialized equipment, we will also inspect your retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye) to screen for this ocular disease and make a firm diagnosis.
What happens during a Glaucoma Test?
A few different types of testing procedures are currently used to diagnose glaucoma.
Tonometry After your eye is numbed with eye drops, a tonometer is used to measure intraocular pressure (IOP). Either a small probe is placed gently on the surface of your eye, or a puff of air is directed onto your eye to take this measurement. A high IOP result points to a problem with the amount of fluid in your eye, yet this measurement is not always enough to diagnose glaucoma for certain.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)OCT or other digital imagery instruments are used to create images of your eye’s optic nerve, and then the imaging technique is repeated over time to check for changes. Differences in the images may indicate progressive glaucoma damage to your eye.
We use an OCT Angiographer that takes a picture of the system inside the retina and sees diabetes in the eye before other tests can detect it.
Are there any Glaucoma Symptoms?
Glaucoma usually begins by attacking your peripheral vision, which explains why glaucoma symptoms may not be noticed for a long time. Unfortunately, once you notice vision loss in the center region of your eye, the ocular disease has probably been present for a long while. Only regular, complete eye examinations can identify glaucoma before it gets to this point. For the best preventive care – contact us to schedule your eye exam and glaucoma test in our optometry practice in Austin, Texas.
What are some Glaucoma Treatments?
The current goal of all glaucoma treatments is to lower or stabilize the pressure in your eye, which will hopefully prevent damage to your optic nerve. The first line of defense is typically medicated eye drops. Depending upon how far the disease has progressed, other glaucoma treatments include conventional (bladed) surgery, laser procedures or a combination of all of the above. If you are prescribed eye drops, it’s critical to continue taking them regularly and not to become negligent about it. Discontinuing your eye drops may lead to vision loss.
Contact us to schedule your appointment for an eye exam and expert glaucoma testing in our convenient Austin eye center.