When it comes to glaucoma, there's good news and bad news. First, glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide, and many people with the condition are unaware of its existence. The good news is that with early detection, you can avoid irreversible vision loss. At Dr. Kevin Gunnerson’s practice, he has extensive experience helping his patients in Moberly, Missouri, spot the condition early on, allowing ample time to manage glaucoma effectively. To prevent vision loss due to glaucoma, call the office or schedule an appointment using the online booking tool.
Glaucoma is a broad term that encompasses many different types of the condition, but they all come back to damage to your optic nerve. To give you a better idea of how glaucoma can affect your eye health and vision, here are the most common types:
This variation of glaucoma is by far the most common, accounting for 90% of all cases. With open-angle glaucoma, the drainage in your eyes is insufficient, causing increased pressure on your optic nerve. Your eyes rely on fluid to function properly, and when everything is operating correctly, your eyes produce the necessary fluid, which then drains away. When this drain is clogged, the fluid has trouble exiting and builds up.
When your drainage is completely blocked, it creates an acute attack, as the pressure quickly builds in your eye. This type of glaucoma makes itself known right away, which means you should seek immediate medical attention.
This is an uncommon variation of the condition in which you have no fluid buildup, yet your optic nerve still becomes damaged.
Glaucoma can affect people of every age, including children, but it’s most often seen in older demographics. There’s also no single cause of the condition, but heredity, age (over 60), and race (black and Hispanic people are more susceptible to glaucoma) all seem to play a role.
When it comes to open-angle glaucoma, the symptoms are frustrating because there generally aren’t any. This is why seeing Dr. Gunnerson and his team regularly for routine eye exams is important. The doctor performs a pressure test to determine whether, and to what extent, fluid may be building up in your eyes.
That said, you may still experience spots in your vision and tunneling vision during the advanced stages of glaucoma.
With angle-closure glaucoma, you’re very aware of the condition because it causes great discomfort when it comes on.
If Dr. Gunnerson diagnoses glaucoma in your eyes, the first order of business is to relieve the pressure. To do this, he starts with prescription eye drops that help open up your eye drainage. This treatment method is typically very effective, but if your glaucoma proves unresponsive, rest assured that there are further measures, including surgery to improve drainage.
The key to glaucoma is early detection and intervention, so call Dr. Kevin Gunnerson, or book an appointment online.
