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Did you know that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization? In America, this potentially devastating disease affects nearly three million people. Glaucoma is the general term for a group of various eye conditions that can steal your sight, often with no symptoms to warn you. It occurs when a combination of factors, including improper levels of pressure in the eye, cause damage to the optic nerve (the main channel of communication between the eye and the brain) Left untreated, glaucoma can lead to vision impairment and even blindness. While glaucoma can affect anyone at any time, additional risk factors include being over age 35, having diabetes, being of African descent, being nearsighted, using oral or inhaled steroids for other medical conditions, or having other family members with glaucoma. The eye care professionals at Evergreen Eye Center recommend annual vision checkups for all people age 40 and over, even if you are seeing clearly, to catch glaucoma in its earliest stages and offer the best chance for maintaining your vision.

If you are concerned about your glaucoma risk, Evergreen Eye Center offers state-of-the-art detection and management of the disease and a variety of advanced treatments that can halt its progression. During a glaucoma exam, our eye care professionals may employ different kinds of tests to understand how your eye is functioning. We use the computerized GDx test to analyze the nerve fibers of the eye. We may also use the Humphry visual field analyzer device, which enables us to understand how well your peripheral vision is working. These glaucoma tests are quick and painless, and do not require your eyes to be dilated.

Should we discover the signs of early or advanced glaucoma, treatment is needed to halt the disease and prevent further vision loss. Usually, the first treatment option for glaucoma is eye drops that lower fluid production in the eye; however, if you have a lung or heart condition, these drops may not be an option for you. Some cases of glaucoma may require surgical treatment such as selective laser trabeculoplasty, or SLT. At Evergreen Eye Center, our eye surgeons are trained experts in this advanced procedure which uses laser light to improve the flow of fluid in the eye and reduce intraocular pressure.

There are a number of different types of glaucoma, some of which show no signs until the advanced stages. The most common type of the disease is open-angle glaucoma, which causes the peripheral vision to slowly deteriorate. Many patients with this type of glaucoma don’t even realize that their vision is changing, but as time passes, the peripheral vision may be reduced to the point where the patient can only see what is straight ahead. Another type of glaucoma is closed-angle, which can present itself with sudden, noticeable symptoms such as headaches, eye pain, and nausea. These attacks can last for several hours, then recede, only to be repeated again. Immediate medical care is needed to prevent irreversible damage to the eye.

To learn more about glaucoma and its detection and treatment, or to schedule a vision exam, please contact Evergreen Eye Center today.

Diabetes is an increasingly common disease that can trigger a number of debilitating responses throughout the body, including the eyes. If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, your pancreas has difficulty producing the insulin that is needed to regulate your blood sugar. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels in they eyes, causing vision loss and eventual blindness. Diabetic retinopathy is a term that encompasses the effect of diabetes on the eyes, which can be divided into two main types: background and proliferative.

Background diabetic retinopathy may occur after several years of being diabetic. Many patients with this type of diabetic retinopathy do not report any visual abnormalities, although some experience symptoms such as floaters, double vision, or blurring. With or without symptoms, however, the disease causes the eye’s retina to become spotted with tiny blood leaks and dilated vessels. This blood and fluid can escape into the main portion of retina and cause swelling. If the swelling remains untreated, further damage to the eye is probable and may even lead to vision loss.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is rarer than background retinopathy and can cause a greater degree of vision loss. This condition causes a network of blood vessels to grow over the retina. These vessels tend to bleed easily, damaging the eye tissue and sometimes causing sudden loss of vision, and may even cause the retina to pull away from the eye, a condition called retinal detachment.

The medical team at Evergreen Eye Center offers comprehensive care for both types of diabetic retinopathy. To help diagnose diabetic retinopathy, we use a common procedure called fluorescein angiography, where a harmless dye is injected into the body. Normal blood flow will eventually cause the dye to reach the retina. At this point, we will use a special device called a digital fundus camera to take a high-resolution photograph of the retina and understand if or how any blood leakage caused by diabetic retinopathy is occurring.

Treatment options for diabetic retinopathy can include laser surgery to regress or ablate leaking vessels. For more advanced cases where vessel rupture has occurred, surgical blood removal and repair of the retina may also be necessary to prepare the eye for a laser procedure called pan-retinal photocoagulation, which seals the retina and stops vessels from growing and leaking.

Diabetic retinopathy is a serious medical condition that requires comprehensive, specialized treatment by a trained eye care professional. You can trust the dedicated team at Evergreen Eye Center to help you keep your eyes healthy and safe.