Glaucoma

About three million Americans have glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. To lower your risk for permanent vision loss, Mayo Family Eye Care LLC provides comprehensive eye exams for children and adults. Sabrina Mayo, OD, and the team also provide customized treatment plans and glaucoma management services to preserve your vision and long-term eye health. Call the Exeter, New Hampshire, office to schedule a consultation for glaucoma or book an appointment online today. 

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve at the back of your eye. This eye disease can lead to vision loss and permanent blindness. Damage to the optic nerve results from increased pressure in the fluids of your eye.

There are two types of glaucoma:

Primary glaucoma

Primary glaucoma develops when fluids inside your eye can’t drain fast enough. This leads to an increase in your eye pressure that can push against the optic nerve and other structures of your eye.

Secondary glaucoma

Secondary glaucoma develops from other medical conditions, like high blood pressure or diabetes.

Your risk for glaucoma increases as you age or if you have a family history of glaucoma. You may also be at a higher risk for glaucoma if you have diabetes, migraines, high blood pressure, and other chronic health conditions.

How do I know if I have glaucoma?

Because glaucoma develops gradually over several years, you may not have any noticeable symptoms until the disease progresses. For this reason, you need to schedule preventive screenings to test for glaucoma.

Mayo Family Eye Care LLC uses advanced diagnostics, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography (a type of imaging that photographs your retina) and visual field testing to identify the early signs of glaucoma. These tests are painless and take less time than conventional screening equipment.

If these procedures confirm your eye pressure is elevated or you have risk factors for glaucoma, the team provides customized glaucoma treatment and management services.

How is glaucoma treated?

There is no cure for glaucoma, but with ongoing care, you can protect your long-term eye health and vision.

The Mayo Family Eye Care LLC team provides several treatment strategies to manage glaucoma, including:

Medications

Medicated eye drops lower the pressure in your eye to prevent optic nerve damage.You may also need medications to control conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure that contribute to glaucoma. 

Laser treatments

Laser treatments can improve the drainage system in your eye, so fluids can drain more efficiently.

Surgery

When medications and laser therapy aren’t working well, you may need surgery to enhance fluid drainage.

The team can determine which treatment is right for your condition. They continue to monitor your visual acuity and optic nerve health through follow-up exams. 

Call Mayo Family Eye Care LLC to schedule a glaucoma screening or book an appointment online today.