I’ve Been Diagnosed with Glaucoma: Now What?

Vision loss affects a staggering 2.2 billion people globally.

Glaucoma leads to blindness more than any other cause. Unfortunately, it can develop without symptoms and can affect you at any age. 

While it doesn’t have a cure, getting this diagnosis doesn’t mean you will go blind. If you’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma, we can provide you with the facts about the condition and discuss how it’s diagnosed and treated.

Ophthalmologists Hena A. Khaja, Soha Rafi, and our dedicated medical staff at Texas Eye Doctors serve the McKinney, Texas area, treating a range of eye conditions, including glaucoma.

Glaucoma facts

This eye disease describes a range of conditions that cause pressure buildup in your eye, which gradually damages critical parts that control vital aspects of vision. Among the many types of glaucoma, there are specific categories like:

Primary open-angle

The most common form of glaucoma occurs when a wide open drainage angle, located at the intersection of the sclera (white of the eye) and the iris edge, causes a gradual increase in eye pressure. 

Primary angle closure

This results from your lens pressing too far forward, leading to a blockage of the aqueous humor fluid from flowing into the pupil's opening.

Secondary

When other conditions, medications, or events increase eye pressure, including eye injuries, uveitis, pigmentary dispersion syndrome, specific eye treatments, and the use of cycloplegics or corticosteroid drugs.

Congenital

Changes or differences during fetal development lead to this type of glaucoma, along with conditions like Marfan syndrome, Axenfeld-Riger syndrome, congenital rubella syndrome, and type 1 neurofibromatosis. 

Risk factors and symptoms

The risk for glaucoma increases if you’re: 

• Over 55  
• Have a family history 
• Are Hispanic or Black 
• Have corneas that are thin in the center 
• Have extreme myopia or hyperopia 
• Have an eye injury 
• Have recently had eye surgery
• Past history of steroid medications

Illnesses like diabetes, sickle cell anemia, migraines, and high blood pressure also raise your risk. The prolonged use of corticosteroid eye drops can also increase the risk of developing glaucoma. 

Signs of these conditions vary by the stage of development, including patchy blind spots in your peripheral vision, difficulty with central vision, headaches, eye strain, severe eye pain, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, and halos around lights.

Diagnosis and treatment

Because the condition develops slowly over time, the best way to obtain a diagnosis is through regular testing. 

Because the risk increases with age, it is recommended to undergo testing every two years, accompanied by a regular eye exam, starting as early as 40 for individuals with related diseases or 65 without. 

We have various treatment options for glaucoma, including pressure-relieving eye drops that decrease fluid production or aid drainage, incisional surgery, and laser eye treatments (selective laser trabeculoplasty) that open clogged drainage channels.

Glaucoma can cause blindness, but it doesn’t have to. Make an appointment with the Texas Eye Doctors team today to get your glaucoma under control.