What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that results in damage to the optic nerve. Glaucoma develops gradually, often without any other symptoms, and because of this, vision loss can be significant before glaucoma is detected. More than one million Americans have glaucoma, making it the second leading cause of blindness in the United States. While glaucoma is typically a condition that affects people over age 50, it can sometime affect younger adults and even children. People with a family history of glaucoma and/or African or Hispanic descent are at a higher risk of developing this disease.
Who is at risk for glaucoma?
Glaucoma results in optic nerve damage, and subsequent vision loss is not reversible. However, glaucoma can be controlled with treatment and blindness can be prevented.
How is glaucoma diagnosed?
Routine eye exams are the best way to identify glaucoma in its early stages, and before significant vision loss has occurred. Glaucoma results in optic nerve damage, and subsequent vision loss is not reversible. However, glaucoma can be controlled with treatment and blindness can be prevented.
How is glaucoma treated?
Treatment for glaucoma is aimed at lowering the pressure in the eye, which is the most common cause of nerve damage. Pressure control is usually achieved with medication. When medication is insufficient in preventing nerve damage or vision loss, laser therapy or surgery is the next step of therapy.
All of the eye physicians at University Eye Specialists are experts in glaucoma care, each having completed a fully accredited glaucoma fellowship. We are a tertiary practice for complex glaucoma cases referred from eye care professionals throughout Chicagoland, as well as from physicians around the country.
