What Are the Warning Signs of Glaucoma?

Known as the “silent thief of sight,” glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. It’s a condition that afflicts millions of people each year without them even realizing it. Though it can’t be cured, it can be effectively treated if detected early enough. Here at Kung Eye Center, we use the latest treatments, techniques, and technologies to help our patients who suffer from glaucoma. Here are its most common warning signs and when you should see your ophthalmologist for treatment.

What is Glaucoma?

When you have glaucoma, the optic nerve in your eye has been damaged by abnormally high pressure, which is known as intraocular pressure. Unfortunately, glaucoma shows no warning signs and comes on gradually, making it difficult to detect until it is in advanced stages. While vision loss from glaucoma is non-recoverable, having regular eye exams here at Kung Eye Center will allow us to measure your intraocular pressure and determine if any problems exist.

What are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?

When you have glaucoma, certain symptoms will present themselves. The most common include blind spots in your peripheral or central vision, with tunnel vision occurring in late-stage glaucoma. Other common symptoms can include:

• Blurred vision
• Seeing halos around lights
• Eye pain or redness
• Severe headaches

Should you begin to experience severe headaches, blurred vision, or eye pain, we recommend you contact us here at Kung Eye Center or visit an ER to get an accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Glaucoma Risk Factors

Just as there are many symptoms associated with glaucoma, it also comes with many risk factors. Some of them include:

• Having a family history of glaucoma
• Suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease
• Being age 40 or older
• Being very nearsighted or farsighted
• Having high intraocular pressure

If you have any risk factors for glaucoma, make regular eye exams here at Kung Eye Center a top priority.

What Treatment Options are Available for Glaucoma?

Here at Kung Eye Center, we’re committed to helping as many people as possible avoid the devastating effects of glaucoma. To do so, we offer many state-of-the-art treatment options, which may include:

• ECP Treatment
• iStent
• Kahook
• Trabeculectomy
• Xpress Shunt, co-developed by Dr. Kung
• Xen implant
• Canaloplasty (Omni and iTrack)
• Trabeculectomy
• Hydrus implant

If you’re a patient whose glaucoma has been managed well with medication but now you require cataract surgery, iStent may be recommended. The smallest medical device ever implanted into a human body, this stent creates a drainage pathway for eye fluid, helping to reduce intraocular pressure. Of course, these and other treatments offered here at Kung Eye Center will be recommended based on your specific circumstances.

Schedule a Consultation

Rather than let glaucoma go untreated and result in blindness in one or both eyes, schedule a consultation with us today here at Kung Eye Center for an eye exam. By calling us or filling out our online contact form, we can work with you to preserve your eyesight through innovative treatments and more.