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Southern Eye Specialists
Private Service, Ophthalmology
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease with a characteristic damage to the optic nerve that transmits eye sight to the brain. It is the commonest cause of preventable blindness and vision loss.
Multiple factors are often important in causing glaucoma, but it is most commonly related to in an increase in pressure in the eye. Symptoms are generally absent until the condition has progressed to an advanced stage. Very occasionally, a rarer form of glaucoma can develop suddenly and symptoms may then include: headaches and aches around the affected eye, seeing halos around lights, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting.
- have someone else in your family with glaucoma
- already have high pressure in your eye
- have experienced injury to your eye
- have or have had certain other eye problems
- have migraine or circulation problems.
- Tonometry – measures eye pressure. It is often the first screening test for glaucoma. The eyes are numbed with eye drops and then examined.
- Dilated eye exam - this is done with an ophthalmoscope (which is a medical instrument that allows the doctor to look through the pupil to the back of the eye).The retina and optic nerve are then examined for any sign of damage.
- Visual acuity test – test to check distance vision using an eye chart.
- Visual field test – test to measure side (peripheral) vision.
- Pachymetry – test to measure the thickness of the cornea.