| Dr. L. Bruce Mebine is an Optometrist and has answered some common questions that Bizymoms visitors have about Glaucoma.
Q. What is Glaucoma?
A. Glaucoma is a disease condition of the eye in which the optic nerve is damaged by increased intraocular pressure which can lead to the loss of vision if the glaucoma is not diagnosed and treated.
Q. Are there different types of Glaucoma?
A. There are two main types of glaucoma, angle closure glaucoma and open angle glaucoma. Angle closure glaucoma is caused by the iris blocking the filtration angle of the eye when the pupil dilates in dim light. In addition, there are much secondary glaucoma which are caused by other eye conditions.
Q. How is Glaucoma detected?
A. An angle closure glaucoma attack causes the intraocular pressure of the eye to rise very quickly and results in blurry, steamy vision, headache and nausea. It has very apparent clinical signs of very high intraocular pressure, corneal edema and a mid-dilated, unresponsive pupil. Open angle glaucoma is difficult to detect as it comes on very slowly over several years. The patient usually does not have any symptoms. Clinically, we look at three things to diagnose open angle glaucoma, the intraocular pressure of the eye, the appearance of the optic nerve and the visual field test results.
Q. Is surgery necessary to treat Glaucoma?
A. Angle closure glaucoma is treated surgically by making a small hole near the base if the iris with a laser (laser iridotomy). Open angle glaucoma can be treated medically with drops to lower the pressure of the eye. There are also surgurical treatments available.
Q. Can Glaucoma cause blindness if left untreated?
A. Glaucoma can result in blindness if it goes undected and untreated. Because open angle glaucoma is asymptomatic until the late stages of the disease, it is important that everyone been screened for glaucoma on a regular basis.
Q. What are the signs and symptoms?
A. Signs and symptoms of glaucoma:
• Angle closure glaucoma-Steamy vision, headache and nausea. High intraocular pressure, corneal edema and mid dilated, unresponsive pupil.
• Open angle glaucoma-no symptoms early on in the disease; loss of peripheral vision and central vision in the late stages. Increased intraocular pressure, glaucomatous changes in the optic nerve and visual field loss are the clinical signs we monitor.
Q. Can Glaucoma be cured?
A. Open angle glaucoma is never "cured". Even if the current treatment is effective, the patient must be monitored on a regular basis. Angle closure glaucoma is usually stable after the laser iridotomies are performed.
Q. How can we contact Dr. Mebine if we have further questions?
A. I can be contacted at bruopt@sbcglobal.net if you have any further questions. Telephone no is (415) 664-3089. Our website is www.drbmebine.com |
