Glaucoma is a common eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged. It can lead to loss of vision if it's not diagnosed and treated early.
Glaucoma does not usually cause any symptoms to begin with. It tends to develop slowly over many years and affects the edges of your vision first. Many people do not realise they have glaucoma, and it's often only picked up during a routine eye test. If you do notice any symptoms, they might include blurred vision, or seeing rainbow-coloured circles around bright lights.
Several quick and painless tests can be carried out to check for glaucoma, including vision tests and measurements of the pressure inside your eye.
If tests suggest you have glaucoma, you will be referred to a specialist eye doctor (ophthalmologist) to discuss treatment options. It's not possible to reverse any loss of vision that occurred before glaucoma was diagnosed, but treatment can help stop your vision getting worse. You will the be referred back to us for your Glaucoma care.
What to expect?
When you come in for your Glaucoma care appointment, you will be asked to have a visual fields test. It is painless and will allow our optometrist to assess your peripheral vision. Our optometrist will then check your eye pressure and put some drops to dilate your pupils. A fundus picture will be taken of the back of your eye to examine your optic nerve. These tests will be saved on your patient records to monitor changes in your eye health on future visits.
How to book your Glaucoma care appointment?
Get in touch with us either by email or by giving us a call on 01752 415490 (Plymouth), 01752 404544 (Plymstock) or 01822 611119 (Tavistock).
