Glaucoma refers to a group of diseases that cause damage to your eye’s optic nerve. These diseases can have serious consequences for your vision if not properly managed.
You see, your optic nerve is the transmitter for visual information from the retina to the brain, and glaucoma damages this nerve, which subsequently causes your vision to deteriorate. Typically, as glaucoma progresses, you’ll slowly start lose your peripheral vision, and soon, you may be unable to see objects from the corner of your eye. This can continue to progress into a kind of tunnel vision, and eventually, over time, central vision will also begin to decrease until your vision is completely gone. Though blindness can usually be prevented, it can occur, especially when the condition goes untreated.
Glaucoma and Vision Loss
The unfortunate news is that once you experience vision loss from glaucoma, the damage is irreversible. Of course, there are different types of glaucoma that can affect your vision in different ways, but no matter which form you might suffer from, treatment is crucial to preserving your vision.
Unfortunately, some forms of glaucoma, such as open-angle glaucoma, do not have noticeable symptoms early on, and vision can remain normal until the damage from the disease progresses much further. That’s why you should always maintain a regular schedule of eye exams.
Even when you might not have symptoms and may be unaware of your risk of developing this disease, and experienced eye doctor can detect and diagnose the condition. While there are still many things that remain unknown about glaucoma, many patients are able to effectively manage the condition with early detection and ongoing treatment.
If you believe you might be suffering from glaucoma or if you are ready to schedule an eye exam with our experienced St. Petersburg optometrist, call Dr. Ryczek’s office at 727-327-8855 to schedule and appointment today.
