Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness today, after cataracts. At Harrisburg Eye Associates in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, highly skilled ophthalmologist Alexander Szeles, DO, and his compassionate team provide comprehensive glaucoma care in one convenient place. They can diagnose your glaucoma and then recommend the most effective solution. Call the office or book an appointment online today to learn more about glaucoma.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that causes damage to your eye’s optic nerve, which carries visual messages to your brain. Optic nerve damage can cause vision changes and even blindness. While most common after age 60, you can develop glaucoma at any age.

There are two main types of glaucoma: 

Open-angle glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma occurs when your eye doesn’t drain fluid efficiently. The fluid accumulates, causing eye pressure to rise and damaging the optic nerve. 

Open-angle glaucoma is painless and doesn’t cause vision changes in the beginning. It’s usually diagnosed during a comprehensive eye exam.

Angle-closure glaucoma

Angle-closure glaucoma, a rarer form of glaucoma, occurs when the drainage path in your eye becomes blocked. It causes a rapid eye pressure spike and often symptoms like eye pain, blurry vision, headache, and halos around lights. It can lead to vision loss very quickly without treatment. 

With both types of glaucoma, early diagnosis and immediate treatment are vital.  

How is glaucoma diagnosed?

Glaucoma diagnosis requires several tests, including: 

• Eye pressure check
• Evaluation of the eye’s drainage system
• Optic nerve exam
• Optic nerve photographs
• Peripheral vision testing

While eye pressure checks are the best-known glaucoma test, they’re just one part of the diagnosis. The Harrisburg Eye Associates team evaluates all of these factors carefully to make an accurate diagnosis.

How is glaucoma treated? 

Early diagnosis and treatment can slow vision loss or prevent blindness. Treatment options for glaucoma can include:

• Eye drops
• Oral medication 
• Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) for open-angle glaucoma
• Yag laser iridotomy for angle-closure glaucoma
• iStent inject®: tiny inner-eye stents for open-angle glaucoma with cataracts
• Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) 

Glaucoma treatment depends on your symptoms, the amount of optic nerve damage, and other individual factors. 

At Harrisburg Eye Associates, the team stays up-to-date with all the newest treatment options. They recommend a treatment plan to give you the best long-term results. 

Can I prevent glaucoma?

You can’t prevent glaucoma, but you can slow or stop its progression. Schedule annual eye exams to diagnose glaucoma in the earliest stages. This is particularly important for people with diabetes, who have roughly twice the risk of developing glaucoma. 

For excellence in glaucoma care, call Harrisburg Eye Associates or book an appointment online today.