Managing Glaucoma with Yakima Vision Center
Visual health starts with addressing potential challenges and complications. When you visit our optometrist in Yakima to check on the health of your eyes, we may discover problems with your vision and eye health. One of our eye doctors may determine the underlying cause of the changes to your vision stems from glaucoma. At Yakima Vision Center, we offer solutions to treat the situation for long-term eye health.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma refers to a condition leading to damage to your optic nerve. When left untreated, it may lead to blindness or significant loss of vision. Due to the complexity of the condition, you want regular eye care solutions to catch the signs of glaucoma at an early stage. In some cases, the symptoms are not noticeable until after you start losing your vision and face damage to your optic nerve.
Glaucoma Symptoms
The glaucoma symptoms that develop over time depend on the type of glaucoma. An optometrist at Yakima Vision Center in our clinic evaluates any changes to your vision before recommending a treatment solution. Generally, we focus on risk factors and check on the health of your optic nerve when we have concerns about the possibility of the condition developing.
Common signs of the condition include:
- Hazy or blurred vision
- Seeing a circle around bright lights that looks similar to a rainbow colored halo
- Severe eye pain
- Headaches or severe head pain
- Nausea or vomiting when combined with severe pain in the eyes or head
- Changes to your vision, particularly a loss of vision
In some cases, the only sign of a problem is the sudden loss of vision or a sudden change in your vision. You may not have any previous signs before the visual changes occur, so you want to get an eye exam regularly to prevent changes to your visual health and address potential complications that may arise.
Management and Treatment of Glaucoma in Yakima
While the condition does not necessarily show signs before you start losing your vision, regular eye care allows you to address the problem and manage the pressure or damage to your optic nerve before it worsens.
An eye doctor at Yakima Vision Center evaluates the concerns related to your eyes and then provides medication or treatment solutions to help reduce the risk of losing your vision. We may provide eye drops or medications as the first step of management and treatment. It is important to follow exact instructions to avoid complicated risks. You will also want to inform an optometrist at Yakima Vision Center of any medications you currently take to limit potential complications from interactions or side effects from the medications.
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When we determine that you need further treatment, we may recommend laser surgery or other surgical procedures. Generally, we provide treatments based on your goals and situation.
Treating glaucoma allows you to address the damages to your eyes and prevent further loss of vision. To learn more about treating the condition or for an appointment with an optometrist in Yakima, contact us today!
Frequently Asked Questions about Glaucoma Treatment at Yakima Vision Center
Yakima Vision Center is proud to serve as your information resource for all kinds of eye diseases and disorders, including glaucoma. If you’re unfamiliar with this potential cause of blindness, here are some frequently asked questions about glaucoma treatment.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that destroys the nerve fibers that make up the optic nerve, which relays visual data to the brain for eyesight. Glaucoma’s effects are progressive and currently irreversible.
Why do people get glaucoma?
Glaucoma is usually associated with high fluid pressure inside the eye. The eye is constantly creating a fluid called the aqueous humor, draining the excess off through a drainage system in the iris. If normal drainage can’t occur, the resulting pressure damages the optic nerve. It’s worth noting that some people may develop glaucoma even if their fluid pressure is normal.
Who has an elevated risk for glaucoma?
Glaucoma risk may be elevated due to factors such as Asian, Hispanic or African ethnicity, advancing age, abnormally thin corneal tissue, hypertension, diabetes, circulatory problems and other underlying health issues.
What are the common glaucoma symptoms?
The more acute kind of glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, can produce sudden, intense symptoms such as blurred vision, nausea, pain and vomiting. The more common open-angle glaucoma produces gradual vision loss, starting with peripheral vision, but these glaucoma symptoms may appear only after significant damage has already occurred — which is why it’s critical for get checked regularly for this disease by either Yakima eye doctor at our clinic.
How does my Yakima Vision Center optometrist detect glaucoma?
Your Yakima Vision Center optometrist, Dr. Farmer will examine the interior of the eye (with the aid of pupil dilation) to look for changes in the optic nerve. A technique called tonometry measures the pressure inside the eye for ocular hypertension that might indicate glaucoma. Vision testing helps your Yakima eye doctor catch trouble signs such as loss of peripheral vision.
What forms of glaucoma treatment in Yakima can you provide?
While glaucoma’s damage can’t be reversed, the condition’s progress can frequently be controlled through medications in the form of eye drops and oral drugs. These medications can reduce the eye’s fluid production and/or help the drainage system work better. If these measures don’t help, we can refer you to an eye surgeon for quick, painless laser procedures that improve drainage.
What glaucoma prevention steps can I take to preserve my eyesight?
Protecting your cardiovascular health is central to glaucoma prevention. Stay active, don’t smoke, watch your weight, consume a varied diet rich in nutrients, and get conditions such as hypertension or diabetes under control.
Learn More and Schedule an Eye Exam with Our Optometrist at Yakima Vision Center
Early detection is just as important and glaucoma prevention, so why not get more answers about this condition while you’re getting an eye exam from our optometrist? Call us at (509) 965-5200 today for an appointment!