Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Often developing without warning signs, this serious eye condition can gradually steal your vision before you even realize there’s a problem.
At Harvard Eye Associates, our glaucoma specialists are dedicated to early detection, accurate diagnosis, and advanced treatment options to help preserve your sight. From routine screenings to interventional procedures, we’re committed to protecting your vision at every stage of this condition.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, which is crucial for vision. This damage is often caused by abnormally high pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure).
Fluid essential for eye health, called aqueous humor, is produced behind the iris in the ciliary body. In a normal eye, this fluid slowly moves to the front of the lens and through the pupil. Eventually, it exits the eye through the trabecular meshwork. This continuous production and drainage maintains proper eye pressure.
With glaucoma, the drainage system becomes blocked or doesn’t work properly, causing fluid to build up. This increases pressure inside the eye, which can gradually damage the optic nerve fibers. As these nerve fibers die, blind spots develop in your vision.
Glaucoma is often called the “silent thief of sight” because it typically causes no symptoms until significant vision loss has occurred. The damage is usually irreversible, making early detection and treatment crucial for preserving vision.
How is Glaucoma Diagnosed?
Diagnosing glaucoma requires careful detective work, piecing together multiple clues from various eye examinations and tests. Like solving a complex puzzle, no single test provides the complete picture. Instead, eye care professionals must evaluate several findings together to reach an accurate diagnosis.
Each patient tells a different story, requiring doctors to carefully consider their individual symptoms, test results, and personal risk factors to solve their particular puzzle. At Harvard Eye Associates, we provide all the necessary exams to accurately diagnose many eye conditions, including glaucoma.
This includes the most up-to-date advances in technology to evaluate the optic nerve. Anyone can develop glaucoma, but there are certain groups that may be at higher risk.
Who is at Risk of Developing Glaucoma?
The Orange County glaucoma specialists at Harvard Eye Associates thoroughly examine all patients for signs of glaucoma during comprehensive eye exams. It is essential to check eye pressure at every appointment, as the disease can develop at any time.
There are certain risk factors that may increase your likelihood of developing glaucoma, such as:
- Age (risk increases after age 60)
- Elevated eye pressure
- Family history of glaucoma
- African or Spanish-American
- Farsightedness or nearsightedness
- Past eye injuries
- Thinner central corneal thickness
- Systemic health problems include migraines, low blood pressure, sleep apnea, thyroid disease, history of blood transfusions.
Our glaucoma eye doctors weigh all these factors before deciding whether you need treatment for glaucoma or whether you should be closely monitored as a glaucoma suspect. If you are a glaucoma suspect, this means your risk of developing glaucoma is higher than normal, and you may need to have regular eye exams to detect the early signs of damage to the optic nerve.
Interventional Glaucoma at Harvard Eye Associates
Interventional glaucoma represents a specialized approach to treating glaucoma that goes beyond traditional eye drops and basic laser treatments. It focuses on advanced surgical techniques and procedures designed to more effectively control eye pressure when standard treatments aren’t sufficient.
While many patients can successfully manage their glaucoma with daily eye drops, some cases require more comprehensive intervention. Eye drops can be challenging to use consistently, may cause side effects, or simply may not provide adequate pressure control for certain patients. Additionally, as glaucoma progresses, more aggressive treatment is often needed to prevent further vision loss.
Interventional glaucoma becomes essential when:
- Eye drops alone cannot adequately control eye pressure
- Patients have difficulty using daily medications consistently
- The condition continues to progress despite medical treatment
- Advanced glaucoma requires more intensive management
Our interventional glaucoma specialists have advanced training in the latest surgical techniques and technologies. Rather than simply managing glaucoma, interventional approaches can provide more definitive pressure control, potentially reducing dependence on daily medications and slowing disease progression.
The goal of interventional glaucoma is to preserve vision through more effective, long-lasting treatment solutions tailored to each patient’s specific needs and circumstances.
How is Glaucoma Treated?
Damage caused by glaucoma cannot be reversed. However, our Orange County glaucoma specialists use different methods to help reduce eye pressure and prevent further damage to your eye health and vision.
With any type of glaucoma, regular examinations are crucial to prevent vision loss. Because glaucoma can progress without your knowledge, adjustments to your treatment may be necessary from time to time.
At Harvard Eye Associates, our glaucoma specialists offer a comprehensive range of treatment options tailored to each patient’s specific needs and stage of disease:
Medicated Eye Drops
Medicated eye drops are typically the first line of treatment for glaucoma, which need to be taken daily and routinely in order to work properly. These medications lower eye pressure, either by decreasing the amount of aqueous fluid produced within the eye or by improving the flow through the drainage angle.
When eye drops alone are not sufficient to control eye pressure or when patients have difficulty maintaining consistent daily medication use, our interventional glaucoma specialists may recommend more advanced surgical treatments.
Never change or stop taking your medications without consulting your ophthalmologist. If you are about to run out of your medication, ask your ophthalmologist if you should have your prescription refilled.
Laser Surgery for Glaucoma
Laser surgery treatments may be recommended for some types of glaucoma.
In open-angle glaucoma, the drain itself is treated. The laser is used to modify the drain (trabeculoplasty) to help control eye pressure.
In closed-angle glaucoma, the laser creates a hole in the iris (iridotomy) to improve the flow of aqueous fluid to the drain.
Glaucoma Surgery in the Operating Room
When less invasive treatments aren’t enough to control glaucoma, surgical procedures performed in the operating room may be necessary. These surgeries are designed to create new drainage pathways or improve existing ones to lower eye pressure and protect your vision.
Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)
MIGS procedures offer effective pressure reduction with faster recovery times and fewer complications than traditional glaucoma surgery. These techniques can often be performed during cataract surgery, addressing both conditions simultaneously. Examples include specialized devices that create microscopic openings in the eye’s drainage system to improve fluid outflow.
One example is the iStent. The iStent is the only implant approved for the treatment of mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma. It is also the smallest known implant ever approved by the FDA.
Although the device is extremely small, measuring only a millimeter in length, iStent® increases fluid outflow to safely lower eye pressure. This procedure has the potential to reduce a patient’s reliance on medications since many open-angle glaucoma patients are burdened with the inconvenience and expense of using two or more different types of drops every day to control their eye pressure.
Traditional Glaucoma Surgeries
For more advanced cases, proven surgical techniques remain highly effective:
Trabeculectomy creates a new drainage channel by making a small flap in the eye wall, allowing fluid to bypass the blocked drainage system. This time-tested procedure is often recommended for patients with more severe glaucoma.
Trabeculotomy involves opening the eye’s natural drainage channels that have become blocked, restoring normal fluid flow and reducing pressure.
Viscocanalostomy uses a special gel to gently open and maintain the eye’s drainage canals, providing effective pressure control with minimal tissue disruption.
Our experienced glaucoma surgeons carefully evaluate each patient to determine the most appropriate surgical approach based on the type and severity of glaucoma, overall eye health, and individual treatment goals.
Your Part in Glaucoma Treatment
Treatment for glaucoma requires a collaborative effort between you and your doctor. Your doctor can prescribe treatment for glaucoma, but only you can ensure that you follow your doctor’s instructions and take your eye drops as directed.
When you are taking medications for glaucoma, your ophthalmologist will want to see you more frequently. Typically, you can expect to visit your ophthalmologist every 3-4 months. This will vary depending on your treatment needs.
Don’t wait for symptoms to appear, as glaucoma can steal your sight without warning. Protect your vision with a comprehensive eye exam at Harvard Eye Associates. Our experienced glaucoma specialists use the latest diagnostic technology to detect glaucoma early and create personalized treatment plans to preserve your sight for years to come.
Schedule your appointment in Laguna Hills, San Clemente, or Orange, CA, today and take control of your eye health.
