Q:

I don't feel any symptoms. Do I still need to get my eyes checked?

A:

Yes. Glaucoma is usually a slowly progressing, painless disease. It occurs so gradually that often patients can’t tell that there is a problem. In glaucoma, vision is lost in the periphery before affecting the center field of vision. Because the eyes work together, they can often “fill-in” parts of the missing vision for each other until the disease becomes very advanced.

Even if you don’t have any vision changes or pain, it is a good idea to have your eyes monitored for early signs of glaucoma. Glaucoma becomes more common as we age, so it is recommended that people over the age 40 should get yearly eye exams. If you have glaucoma in the family or other risk factors, you should get routine exams even earlier.

Q:

I’ve been told my eye pressures are normal. Does this mean I won’t get glaucoma?

A:

Not necessarily. We now know that it is possible to develop glaucoma at any eye pressure. There are also special types of glaucoma where sudden acute elevations of eye pressure can damage the optic nerve. Every person is different. That’s why it’s important to have your eyes checked routinely. On rare occasions, if the optic nerve becomes damaged at normal pressures, this can indicate the growth of a tumor in the brain or behind the eye. If this is a possibility, your doctor will order the appropriate testing for you.

Q:

Will glaucoma treatments improve my vision?

A:

In most cases, no. The purpose of lowering eye pressure is to halt the progression of disease and prevent further damage to the optic nerve. Unfortunately, when vision is lost due to glaucoma, it doesn’t come back. That’s why it’s very important that if you are using eyedrops, you use them every day even though you don’t feel any improvement and your vision seems unchanged.

If you have a problem with eyedrops due to their side effects, or you have difficulty placing them in your eye, there is an alternative. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a new laser treatment that can reduce eye pressure without using drops. In this procedure, a tiny laser beam is used to widen the drainage system at the front of the eye. The effect can last for several months and can reduce your dependence for eyedrops. However, it doesn’t work in everybody, so it’s still important that you continue to be monitored by your doctor.