Glaucoma has earned the nickname “the silent thief of sight” for good reason. Most people with glaucoma don’t experience any symptoms until they’ve already lost a significant amount of vision. By the time you notice changes in your eyesight, the damage is often permanent.
This is why glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over 60, but here’s the encouraging news: blindness from glaucoma is largely preventable by attending regular eye exams.
Keep reading to learn how comprehensive eye exams protect your sight and what these crucial screenings involve.
What Makes Glaucoma So Dangerous?
Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, which carries visual information from your eye to your brain. This damage typically happens gradually and without warning. Most people with open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the condition, have no pain or obvious symptoms in the early stages.
Vision loss from glaucoma usually begins at the edges of your visual field, affecting your peripheral (side) vision first. Because your central vision remains clear initially, you might not notice anything wrong. Your brain also tends to compensate for these gaps, making early detection even more difficult without proper testing.
Over months or years, the damage progresses inward until it affects your central vision, impacting your ability to read, drive, and recognize faces. Once vision is lost to glaucoma, it cannot be restored. However, when glaucoma is caught early through regular screening, treatment can stop or significantly slow further damage.
This is why eye care professionals emphasize that early detection through comprehensive eye exams remains the best defense against vision loss from glaucoma.
How Regular Eye Exams Detect Glaucoma Early
Comprehensive medical eye exams can detect glaucoma before any symptoms appear. Unlike a basic vision screening that only measures how well you see, a comprehensive eye exam evaluates the health of your entire visual system.
Research consistently shows that individuals who undergo regular eye exams and receive timely treatment can maintain good vision throughout their lives, even with a diagnosis of glaucoma. At Clear Vision San Antonio, comprehensive eye exams include testing specifically designed to screen for glaucoma and other sight-threatening conditions.
These tests work together to give your eye doctor a complete picture of your eye health:
Tonometry (Eye Pressure Test)
This test measures the pressure inside your eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP). Your eye constantly produces a clear fluid called aqueous humor that flows in and out of your eye through a drainage canal. When this fluid doesn’t drain properly, pressure can build up and damage the optic nerve.
During tonometry, your eye doctor applies numbing drops to your eye, then uses a specialized instrument to measure the pressure. The normal range is typically 10-21 mmHg, although some people develop glaucoma even with normal pressure levels, while others can have higher pressures without experiencing damage.
Ophthalmoscopy (Optic Nerve Examination)
Ophthalmoscopy involves dilating your pupils with special eye drops, then using a magnifying lens and light to examine the optic nerve at the back of your eye. Your eye doctor looks for specific changes in the nerve’s appearance that might indicate damage.
Many practices, including Clear Vision San Antonio, also utilize advanced imaging technology called optical coherence tomography (OCT). This laser-based test creates detailed images of your optic nerve and measures the thickness of the nerve fiber layer, allowing your doctor to detect even subtle changes over time.
Visual Field Testing
This test maps your complete field of vision, including your peripheral vision, where glaucoma damage often begins. You’ll look straight ahead at a target while small spots of light appear in different areas of your side vision.
Each time you see a light, you press a button. The lights vary in brightness, from very dim to the limit of your vision. This test creates a map showing any areas of vision loss, which helps your doctor monitor for glaucoma progression over time.
Gonioscopy
Gonioscopy examines the drainage canal, called the drainage angle, where fluid exits your eye. Your doctor places a special lens on your numbed eye to view this angle and determine if you’re at risk for angle-closure glaucoma, a less common but more dangerous form of the disease.
Pachymetry
Pachymetry measures your corneal thickness using a gentle probe. People with thinner corneas have a higher risk of developing glaucoma, and corneal thickness can also affect the accuracy of your pressure readings, making pachymetry essential to ensure precise tonometry measurements.
How Often Should You Have Eye Exams?
The frequency of your eye exams depends primarily on your age and risk factors. Adults under 40 with no risk factors typically need comprehensive eye exams every two to four years.
Between the ages of 40 and 54, exams should occur every one to three years, as the risk of glaucoma begins to increase. Between the ages of 55 and 64, you should have eye exams every one to two years. After the age of 65, annual exams or exams every six to 12 months become crucial for maintaining eye health.
These are general guidelines for people without special risk factors. If you have any risk factors for glaucoma, you need more frequent screening. Anyone with high-risk factors should be tested every year, regardless of symptoms. Your eye doctor at Clear Vision San Antonio can recommend a screening schedule tailored to your individual risk profile.
Who is at Higher Risk for Glaucoma?
Several factors can increase your risk of developing glaucoma. Age is the most significant factor, with risk increasing substantially after 60. People of African, Hispanic, or Asian descent also have higher rates of glaucoma and tend to develop it at younger ages.
A family history of glaucoma significantly increases your risk, especially if a parent or sibling has the disease. Certain medical conditions also raise your risk. Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and sickle cell anemia all correlate with increased glaucoma rates.
People with severe nearsightedness or farsightedness, those who have had eye injuries, and individuals who use corticosteroid medications for extended periods also face an elevated risk. If any of these factors apply to you, discuss your glaucoma screening schedule with your eye doctor. More frequent exams ensure that any signs of glaucoma are caught as early as possible.
Do you remember when you had your last exam? Schedule a comprehensive medical eye exam at Clear Vision San Antonio in San Antonio, TX, today!