Posted: 1/20/2015
Parkland provider urges regular eye exams to detect disease
Like most Americans, Michael Cross had never been too concerned about glaucoma.
“I’d heard the word before but I never thought anything about it,” said the 62-year-old Dallas resident. But several years ago, after he started having persistent headaches and problems with his vision, Cross went to his doctor who sent him to a vision specialist. It was then that he learned he had the eye disease sometimes referred to as the “silent thief of vision.”
“When the doctor explained to me that I could go blind, I just didn’t know what to think,” said Cross, a patient at the Ophthalmology Clinic at Parkland Memorial Hospital. “But I know about glaucoma now and what it can do to you.”
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, and health care providers at Parkland want to put a focus on the disease, its lack of symptoms and the importance of regular eye exams. Glaucoma affects 2.7 million Americans over the age of 40, and the National Eye Institute projects that the number will increase to 4.2 million by 2030. It is the leading cause of vision loss in the U.S.
“There is no cure for the most common form of glaucoma – primary open angle glaucoma – but if the disease is caught early enough, treatment may be started to prevent further vision loss,” said Roger Velasquez, MD, an ophthalmologist at Parkland’s Ophthalmology Clinic. “Testing at-risk individuals is of vital importance to prevent blindness from the disease.”
Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, which is connected to the back of the eye. When someone is diagnosed with the disease, treatment seeks to lower eye pressure to prevent it from getting worse. Treatment can include eye drops containing medications which slow the production of fluid in the eye or increase drainage of that fluid, lowering pressure in the eye. Other options include laser or surgery.
While there is no known cause for the most common type of glaucoma, studies have shown strong associations with aging, family history of glaucoma, and African American ethnicity. In addition, individuals with uncontrolled diabetes are at risk for developing glaucoma.
Dr. Velasquez said that with primary open angle glaucoma, patients have no symptoms until the disease has reached an advanced state. At that point they can experience blurring or dimming vision. He also said that less common forms of the disease can result in eye pain and vision loss.
A typical glaucoma exam consists of a test of vision, measurement of eye pressure, a contact lens exam of the eye drainage system, a visual field test of peripheral vision and an exam of the optic nerve which requires pupils to be dilated. During the lens exam, a contact lens containing mirrors is placed on the eye to look at the drainage system.
“Regular eye exams are very important, especially for people who are over 40 years old. If you think you are at risk, you should schedule an appointment with an ophthalmologist or glaucoma specialist,” Dr. Velasquez said.
Cross said eye drops and surgery have helped stop the progression of his glaucoma, but he has lost peripheral vision in his right eye. He also sometimes has trouble with depth perception.
“I would tell people that they need to get a regular eye check; your sight is so important. I didn’t get my eyes checked for many years,” Cross said. “If you keep putting it off and putting it off, it could really harm you.”
For more information about glaucoma visit http://www.glaucoma.org/news/glaucoma-awareness-month.php.