Blog post by: Eye Physicians of Long Beach
Glaucoma refers to a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve and can cause blindness. The optic nerve sends images from your retina to the brain, enabling you to see.
Nerve damage and vision loss from glaucoma are permanent. If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma and are seeking treatment, your top priority should be finding the most qualified medical professional.
A glaucoma specialist has the training and expertise to protect your vision from the sight-threatening eye condition. Keep reading to learn more about glaucoma, how to treat it, and the three advantages of choosing a glaucoma specialist.
Risk Factors for Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. It often occurs when high eye pressure gradually damages the optic nerve.
Typically, glaucoma doesn’t have any symptoms at first. That’s why most patients with glaucoma don’t realize they have it.
If they have any symptoms, these usually appear during the later stages of the condition. By this time, severe damage has already occurred, including permanent vision loss.
It’s essential to schedule regular eye exams with your eye doctor. Eye exams are your best defense against conditions like glaucoma.
A comprehensive eye exam can help diagnose glaucoma in its early stages when treatment is most effective in preventing extensive vision loss. Anyone can develop glaucoma.
However, some people are at a higher risk of developing the condition and should have eye exams more regularly. The risk factors for glaucoma include:
- Being 55 and older
- Having a family history of glaucoma
- Past eye injuries
- Previous eye surgeries or procedures
- Prolonged use of corticosteroids
- Being extremely farsighted or nearsighted
- Being of Hispanic, African American, or Asian heritage
- Having high intraocular pressure
- Certain medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and sickle cell anemia
Treating Glaucoma
The only way to treat glaucoma is by lowering eye pressure in patients. Bringing eye pressure down slows the progression of glaucoma and helps preserve your remaining eyesight.
Some of the extensive glaucoma treatment options available at Eye Physicians of Long Beach include:
Eye Drops
Eye drops are usually the first line of treatment for glaucoma. Other treatment options include oral medications, laser treatment, or a combination of approaches.
If these options don’t effectively lower your intraocular pressure, your glaucoma specialist may recommend surgery. There are different types of glaucoma surgeries, including:
Trabeculectomy
A trabeculectomy is a procedure that creates a new path for the aqueous fluid, allowing it to leave your eye more easily. Improved fluid outflow reduces intraocular pressure and slows or prevents optic nerve damage.
In turn, this minimizes the risk of additional vision loss.
Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgeries (MIGS)
MIGS refers to techniques, implants, and devices used to reduce eye pressure. Minimally invasive means these procedures use microscopic equipment and tiny incisions. These procedures are less invasive than more traditional glaucoma procedures.
As a result, MIGS procedures significantly reduce the risks of potential complications that come with traditional, more invasive glaucoma surgeries. MIGS procedures are safer, more effective, and have shorter recovery times.
Benefits of Selecting a Glaucoma Specialist
Here are reasons why patients with glaucoma benefit from seeing a glaucoma specialist:
1. Education and Experience
Glaucoma specialists are medical doctors who specialize in glaucoma and eye conditions related to glaucoma. Just like you would go to a dentist if you have a dental problem and not a family physician, it’s crucial to choose a glaucoma specialist instead of a general ophthalmologist.
Individual ophthalmologists do not have the same training or skills. Although every ophthalmologist is glaucoma trained, only some become glaucoma specialists.
Glaucoma specialists have the education and experience necessary to manage your glaucoma effectively. They can properly diagnose even subtle glaucoma symptoms that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Because glaucoma is a lifelong condition, it requires proper management. You can feel confident about the decisions made concerning your eye health by choosing a glaucoma specialist at Eye Physicians of Long Beach.
2. Preserve Your Vision
Given that glaucoma is a sight-threatening disease, receiving the best, most advanced treatment is critical. This can only be possible if you select an experienced glaucoma specialist.
While there’s no cure for glaucoma, effectively controlling it is possible with prompt treatment. But treatment options to slow the progression of glaucoma have potential side effects and involve some level of risk.
Thanks to their extensive experience, glaucoma specialists take all the necessary precautions and make every consideration when choosing the ideal treatment plan for you. This helps maximize the benefits of the treatment provided while minimizing adverse effects.
3. Enhanced Safety
When you have glaucoma, you’ll require lifelong monitoring and treatment. Treating glaucoma patients needs specific skills.
Often, eyes with glaucoma have weak zonules, small pupils, and other conditions that pose unique challenges. A glaucoma specialist can handle challenging glaucoma cases, no matter how complicated.
In some instances, you may need surgery. Glaucoma procedures are very delicate and come with some risks of complications. Because of this, it’s critical to choose a glaucoma specialist who consistently gets better vision results for their patients.
Of course, there are no guarantees. But going to a glaucoma specialist can drastically decrease your chances of being among patients with serious complications like severe vision loss after glaucoma surgery.
You’ll access the highest experience, expertise, and surgical capabilities with a glaucoma specialist.
Save Your Sight from Glaucoma
Enjoying the best vision possible for life starts with selecting a glaucoma specialist. The glaucoma specialists at Eye Physicians of Long Beach are experts in diagnosing and treating glaucoma and other conditions related to glaucoma.
We can ensure you’ll enjoy a lifetime of functional vision. Are you looking for a top-rated glaucoma specialist?
Schedule your appointment at Eye Physicians of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, to protect your remaining vision and receive the best glaucoma treatment!