Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that begins when the pressure inside the eye increases. This increased pressure causes damage to occur to the optic nerve and can lead to loss of peripheral vision.

Below are some risk factors for glaucoma:

- Increased eye pressure
- Family History of Glaucoma
- Ethnicity (African-Americans at greater risk)
- Diabetes and/or Hypertension
- Sleep Apnea
- Nearsightedness
- Diabetes and/or Hypertension
- Corticosteroid use
- Increased Age

Our doctors will evaluate your eye pressure along with the appearance of the optic nerve. If your eye pressure is elevated or your optic nerves looks suspicious, they may order further tests to rule out the presence of glaucoma. These tests are performed in our office on a separate visit. They include rechecking the pressure of the eye, a visual field test that evaluates your peripheral vision, a procedure called Optical Coherence Topography (OCT) that determines if there is any direct damage to the optic nerve presently as well if we can expect to find any in the future, and pachymetry which measures the thickness of the cornea which allows us to see if the pressure readings we get are accurate.

If we determine that you have glaucoma, treatment is simple in most cases. Many patients can simply begin using drops to lower their eye pressure. In some patients, laser therapy and possible surgery are better options to help treat their disease. Our doctors will take the time to explain this condition to you and answer all of the questions you may have.