Capturing the Silent Thief of Sight Before It’s Too Late
- Posted on: Mar 15 2015
The Glaucoma Research Foundation estimates that there are roughly 2.2 million Americans who have glaucoma yet only half of them are aware that they have the condition. Apart from its worldwide prevalence, glaucoma can lead to irreversible vision loss which is why it is often referred to as the silent thief of sight.
By and large, the so-called silent thief of the sight primarily affects the optic nerve as a result from higher than normal eye pressure. Gradual loss of peripheral vision (side vision), the ability to see beyond your direct line of vision, is impaired in glaucoma. The tricky part is that there are no obvious signs that you have the condition until its later stages wherein you have lost significant amounts of functional ability.
Anyone can have glaucoma but high-risk groups include individuals who are over 60 years, diabetics, and those who are of African-American and Hispanic descent. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, and activity level may promote a healthy optic nerve but they won’t help treat glaucoma once it’s already present.
So how does one capture the silent thief of sight before it’s too late?
A comprehensive eye exam can help detect glaucoma. Although most of these exams include an eye pressure test, a dilated optic nerve exam is equally crucial to figure out the presence of glaucoma. Once the dilated optic nerve exam suggests damage, testing of peripheral vision and imaging of the optic nerves is suggested.
Advanced Glaucoma Detection at the Roholt Vision
Roholt Vision Institute is proud to offer both retinal tomography and optical coherence tomography for the earliest possible detection of glaucomatous changes to the optic nerve. These tests can allow for treatment to be initiated early in the course of the disease just in time to save your vision!
Call us at 330-305-2200 to learn more about advanced glaucoma detection at the Roholt Vision Institute!
Posted in: Glaucoma, Ohio Eye Care