A Glaucoma Suspect is a patient
who is at a higher risk for having or developing
glaucoma than the general population. In glaucoma,
vision is lost when the optic nerve is damaged
due to pressure inside the eye. Certain features
on examination, such as the shape of your optic
nerve or the level of the intraocular pressure,
allow the ophthalmologist to determine if a patient
is a glaucoma suspect. Performing some additional
tests helps ensure that glaucoma suspects who
do have this sight-threatening disease are treated
early. Glaucoma suspects must be evaluated for
What Will My Glaucoma Suspect Evaluation Consist
Of?
- Tonometry
Tonometry is the measurement of the pressure
inside the eye. Measuring the pressure inside
the eye is very important for determining your
risk of developing glaucoma.
- Laser Optic Nerve Scan
Our office is equipped with the OCT (Optical
Coherence Tomographer). This revolutionary technology
uses laser-type light to intricately and precisely
measure the dimensions of the optic nerve and
surrounding tissue. This test is critical for
modern management of glaucoma.
- Optic Disc Analysis
Through a special digital fundus camera, the
shape of you optic disc will be analyzed and
compared with the general population. The optic
disc is the front aspect of the optic nerve
which carries information from the eye to the
brain. The digital images will also serve as
a baseline for future examinations.
- Visual Fields
This is a test of your peripheral vision, the
vision that is often lost first in glaucoma.
In this test, you will sit in front of a large
white bowl. You will be asked to look at a specific
point in the middle of the bowl. Light will
periodically appear at different locations of
the white bowl. You will be asked to press a
button whenever you see a light.
- Pachymetry
A recent study by the National Institute of
Health revealed that thin corneas are a risk
factor for glaucoma. The cornea is the clear
front covering of the eye. Additionally, the
intraocular pressure measured through tonometry
can be adjusted to obtain a more accurate reading
with this information.
All of this information will
be used to determine if you have glaucoma or if
you can simply be followed yearly as a glaucoma
suspect.
See
Glaucoma |
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