With much of the focus of eye health placed on vision, it is easy to overlook potential risks for serious eye conditions like glaucoma. Unless you are aware of a family history or unique risk for this potentially blinding eye disease, you may not realize you could benefit from tests that revolve around the signs of glaucoma. You may not even wonder whether or not you might need a glaucoma screening. We’ll make it easy here; if you’re over the age of 40, you do.
Additional reasons to schedule a glaucoma screening every year or two include risks such as:
- Being over the age of 60.
- Being severely nearsighted.
- Having high blood pressure.
- Being of African descent (the risk is 6 to 8 times higher among African Americans)
- You’ve suffered an eye injury.
How we Test for Glaucoma
- This simple test identifies if peripheral eyesight may be disrupted (an effect of glaucoma). During the test, you look straight ahead while light passes in front of your eyes. You then indicate when light passes your peripheral (side) vision.
- Increased intraocular pressure is a primary symptom of glaucoma. Tonometry is a test that measures the pressure within the eye. This may be achieved with a quick burst of air or a small instrument placed onto the numbed surface of the eye.
- If intraocular pressure is elevated, a second test may be performed to measure the thickness of the cornea. This is because intraocular pressure is related to corneal thickness. Understanding one gives us a better understanding of the other.
- Ophthalmoscopy is a test that looks at the back of the eye using a special instrument. To achieve this, it is necessary to dilate (widen) the pupil with special eye drops. Neither the dilation nor the test itself is painful.
- Gonioscopy is another painless test performed using numbing eye drops. This test identifies whether the angle of contact between the iris and the cornea is wide, narrow, or closed.
Central Florida Eye Institute proudly serves Ocala and surrounding areas. To schedule a comprehensive eye exam that includes glaucoma testing, call (352) 237-8400.