Glaucoma doesn’t have to mean a lifetime of drops

New procedures may actually lower the risk of vision loss

Glaucoma: The progressive loss of vision due to increased fluid pressure

The eye is filled with fluid that gives it its round shape. When we’re young, the fluid comes in through the back of the eye, and flows out again through tiny channels in what doctors call the “trabecular meshwork”.

With age, these tiny channels can become clogged. Then the fluid can’t escape, and pressure increases inside the eye. Over time this pressure causes loss of vision, starting at the edges and working in.

Glaucoma is not painful. And, because the vision loss starts at the outside edges, many people don’t notice it until it is advanced. If you are over 40, and especially if you have a family history of glaucoma, it is important to get regular eye checkups to make sure your eye fluid is at a normal pressure.

One interesting fact is that your relatives don’t often volunteer the fact that they might have glaucoma, which runs in families. So for your ocular health ask the question at the next family gathering; it could save your sight!

Drops may not manage glaucoma all that well

Historically, patients with glaucoma have been given drops to use several times daily to reduce the pressure. Drops are not always easy to remember, and the dosages may have to be adjusted regularly. Worse, even with regular use of drops, many patients’ pressures are still not well-managed, and loss of vision occurs.

Dr. Siepser can eliminate drops and help to control glaucoma for most patients using minimally invasive techniques.

At Siepser Laser Eyecare, we use several different procedures to help patients with glaucoma, depending on their vision, age, and history. All are outpatient procedures, so you go home the same day and can return to most normal activities as early as the next day.

These procedures may actually offer lower risk of vision loss compared to continued use of drops. Instead of just treating the glaucoma–with the continuing risk of impaired vision–you may be able to end it.

To see whether you can benefit from this astounding new advance in glaucoma care, schedule your visit now.