Despite being one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S., many people don't know much about glaucoma. For most, the only knowledge they have of this eye disease comes from the standard “puff of air” test they have during annual eye doctor visits.

What You Should Know About Glaucoma

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the internal fluid pressure in your eye damages the optic nerve and may cause peripheral vision loss.

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

Typically, there are no symptoms that you have glaucoma until you experience vision loss. In rare cases, glaucoma may cause blurred vision, pain, or redness in the eyes. 

How is glaucoma diagnosed?

Because you’re unlikely to have symptoms, eye exams are vital to detect problems early. Eye doctors will take your eye pressure, dilate  your pupils to evaluate your optic nerve and if needed perform other testing including a peripheral vision test.

How is glaucoma treated?

When detected early, it’s possible to prevent vision loss from glaucoma using prescription drops to reduce eye pressure. Most of these drugs work well, but other options may be necessary to prevent vision loss.

Am I at risk for glaucoma?

There are many risk factors to glaucoma.  Glaucoma is more common in people over 40, and African Americans are at a higher risk than Caucasians. People who are nearsighted are also at greater risk. Doctors recommend maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking, to reduce glaucoma risk. 

If you haven’t had an eye examination recently to assess your glaucoma risk, make an appointment with Nelson O. Yoshioka Jr., OD., Cheryl C. Niitani, OD., and Evan S. Tanaka, O.D.  For more than 30  years, these experienced eye doctors have cared for the vision of Oahu residents of all ages. In addition to comprehensive exams and screenings for eye diseases, they offer an array of glasses and contact lenses to help you see clearly. For an appointment, call their Honolulu office at (808) 734-7050 or their Pearl City location at (808) 455-3333, and visit the website to learn more about their services.