Glaucoma

1. Glaucoma Everything you need to know

2. What is Glaucoma? • Glaucoma is an eye condition in which the optic nerve at the back of the eye is damaged. • The optic nerve is responsible for taking “what you see” and sending the brain this information. • If it is damaged then this process is not carried out. • A loss of the visual field results depending on the size, extent and place of the damage on the optic nerve.

3. How do you get Glaucoma? • Not everyone will get Glaucoma. • It is an ocular condition of mature adulthood. • If a direct family member has the condition it can increase your chances of having the disease in later life by up to three times. • 250 000 people have Glaucoma in the UK, yet only 100 000 are receiving treatment. This is why a regular eye test is essential.

4. How is Glaucoma checked for? • The puff of air test • This is where a light, harmless puff of air is applied to the front surface of your eye. It checks the pressure inside your eye. If the pressure is too high it can damage the surface of the optic nerve. • Some people have a naturally high pressure inside their eyes, so other tests are used as well. • By looking at the optic nerve directly • Your optometrist can shine a torch into your eye through your pupil and look at your optic nerve directly. This allows the health of it to be examined. • Norman Salmoni Opticians will also take a digital photo of inside the eye – which includes the optic nerve. This allows it to be compared in each further check up and also lets you see what we do with a torch. • Visual Field Test • This test presents bright and dim lights to one eye at a time around a fixation target. It tests exactly what you can see and where you can see it.

5. What can be done? • Eye drops are given which work extremely well to slow down the progression of Glaucoma.