Glaucoma Awareness Week

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a common eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged.  The most common cause of glaucoma is raised pressure inside the eye.

How do you know if you have glaucoma?

Glaucoma is often named the ‘silent thief of sight’ as the condition often has no symptoms until it is quite advanced.  The best way to prevent visual loss from glaucoma is early diagnosis and treatment.  Regular eye tests with your optician can show if you potentially have any signs of glaucoma and they can then refer you to an ophthalmologist for further investigation. 

How is glaucoma treated?

There have been many innovations in the field of glaucoma treatment over the past decade, and this is my main area of clinical and research expertise.  I am glad to say that we are now less dependent on long term eyedrops as the mainstay of glaucoma treatment, with non-invasive lasers such as selective laser trabeculoplasty now being offered as first-line treatment.  The field of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery has also evolved, and Innovation Eye Clinic is able to offer the latest and safest interventions in the form of glaucoma stents, which can easily be combined with cataract surgery.

Summary Statement

Glaucoma does lead to irreversible sight loss and early diagnosis really is the key to keeping your eyes healthy and maintaining your vision.  It is imperative that you do see your optician or ophthalmologist regularly to check for glaucoma and other eye diseases.