Glaucoma Research Foundation: Advancing Vision & Hope

Regular eye exams are crucial for detecting glaucoma because most people with the condition don’t experience any symptoms until they’ve already suffered significant vision loss.

The visual field test is a subjective measure of central and peripheral vision, or “side vision,” and is used by your doctor to diagnose, determine the severity of, and monitor your glaucoma.

It is important that your doctor listens and responds to your concerns and questions, is willing to explain your treatment options, and is available for calls and checkups.

Corneal thickness is important because it can mask an accurate reading of eye pressure, causing doctors to treat you for a condition that may not really exist

The future of Virtual Reality-based visual field testing is bright.

As glaucoma patients, a basic understanding of glaucoma and its treatment is helpful to prepare for eye doctor visits.

Understanding how your IOP changes over time can help you and your doctor feel confident that your glaucoma treatment is working effectively.

Glaucoma specialists take pictures of the optic nerve in order to measure damage to this important cable that connects your eye to your brain.

Both people with and without optic nerve damage have optic nerve cupping, although those with glaucoma tend to have a greater cup-to-disc ratio.

The diagnosis of glaucoma is made when your eye doctor notices a particular type of damage in the optic nerve known as cupping. This diagnostic finding can occur with or without high intraocular pressure.

If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma, chances are, you will have taken several visual field tests.

Tele-glaucoma can improve access to care, it can help with disease detection and monitoring, and it can help with ongoing glaucoma management.

If you are a glaucoma patient, it is important for you and your doctor to monitor your intraocular pressure (IOP).

Q: I’ve heard that glaucoma is caused by high eye pressure, and that left untreated glaucoma can cause blindness. At what pressure will I go blind?

IOP fluctuates constantly, between doctor’s visits and even throughout the day. The more frequently your IOP is measured, the better overall picture your doctor will have of your pressure fluctuations.

Researchers say this new imaging technology has the potential to open diagnostic doors for glaucoma patients worldwide.

Glaucoma is called “the sneak thief of sight” because people who have the disease do not see or feel anything unusual until there is irreversible nerve damage and vision loss.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans offer better diagnostic accuracy by letting doctors see changes inside the eye.

While you may not look forward to your annual health exams, including eye exams, it’s important for maintaining your well-being.

Glaucoma specialists take pictures of the optic nerve to measure the health of your eye and your risk for glaucoma.