January is Glaucoma Awareness Month

During the month of January, the Ramstein Optometry Clinic will be offering glaucoma screenings to all Tricare beneficiaries.

The air puff test, officially known as non-contact tonometry, will be offered on a walk-in basis from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Mondays. This test is strictly done as a glaucoma screening and does not replace a complete eye exam.  

Q: What is glaucoma?
A: According to the American Optometric Association, glaucoma is a group of eye disorders leading to progressive damage to the optic nerve and is characterized by loss of nerve tissue resulting in loss of vision.  
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the U.S.

Q: What are the signs and symptoms of glaucoma?
A: Glaucoma is a very dangerous disease of the eye because most often it presents with little or no signs or symptoms. Severe cases of glaucoma may present with eye pain, loss of vision, nausea or decreased peripheral vision.  
The sooner we can detect glaucoma, the easier it is to manage and the less chance for complications, therefore it is important to have complete routine eye exams every one to two years.

Q: Are there different types of glaucoma?
A: Yes, there are many different types of glaucoma.
Primary open angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma and is caused when too much pressure accumulates in the eye. Angle closure glaucoma is considered a medical emergency and can cause permanent vision loss if not treated with a few hours of onset.

Normal tension glaucoma can occur even though intraocular pressures are within normal limits. This type of glaucoma is impossible to detect with only the air puff test.  This demonstrates why it is necessary to have a complete eye exam performed by an eye doctor routinely. Many other secondary types of glaucoma can be caused by health conditions, eye diseases, previous trauma, etc.  

Q: What are the risk factors for glaucoma?
A: Unlike most diseases, glaucoma is generally not caused by poor diet or environmental causes. Glaucoma can affect any person at any time. Glaucoma is also known to have some genetic components so a thorough family history is often important. 

According to the American Optometric Association, narrow angle glaucoma is most common in Eskimos, Asians and patients who are farsighted. It most often occurs in people over age 40, although a congenital or infantile form of glaucoma exists. People with a family history of glaucoma, African-Americans over the age of 40, and Hispanics over the age of 60 are at an increased risk of developing glaucoma.
Other risk factors include thinner corneas, chronic eye inflammation, and using medications like steroid eye drops that can increase the pressure in the eyes.
 
Q:  Are there any other ways to test for glaucoma?
A:  Aside from the air puff test, Goldman tonometry and tonopen are alternative ways to determine intraocular pressure.
These techniques may be considered more invasive because the eye must be numbed with eye drops first. Also, finger tensions can be used to measure eye pressure by just feeling the outside of the eyeball over the eye lid. However, these measurements are reserved for small children and those who cannot be tested any other way.

Beside intraocular pressure, some other testing may also be used to help diagnose glaucoma.   

Q: How do you treat glaucoma?
A: If caught early enough it is fairly easy to treat. Though there is no cure for glaucoma, with today’s advances in medicine, glaucoma can be controlled and managed for a lifetime preventing or reducing vision loss.
The normal beginning treatment for non advanced cases could be as simple as using one eye drop every night before bedtime.

More severe cases may require multiple medications and surgery to help lower your intraocular pressure. If left untreated, glaucoma could result in peripheral vision loss or complete blindness.  
 
Q: How often should I have my eyes checked for glaucoma?
A:   Unfortunately glaucoma is not preventable, however, the sooner glaucoma is diagnosed, the easier it is to manage. The American Optometric Association recommends all adults age 18 to 60 have a full eye exam completed every year.
After age 60 it is recommended you have your eyes evaluated annually.   
As you can see there are many factors and tests used to diagnose glaucoma.
Ask yourself, “Am I due for my annual eye exam?”

If so, call our appointment line at 06371-86-5762 or 486-5762 to schedule a complete eye exam, or stop by in January for a quick air puff test.