Long Island LASIK Specialists

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Long Island Glaucoma Specialists

The Long Island glaucoma specialists of OCLI are leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. At OCLI, glaucoma patients gain access to high-quality care with the latest, most effective glaucoma treatment options.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. Damage to the optic nerve is a result of increased intraocular pressure (IOP). Increased IOP develops when the fluids in the eye improperly drain, build up, and cause subsequent increased IOP. Over time, an increase in IOP damages the optic nerve and may cause vision loss and blindness.

Glaucoma FAQs

Glaucoma is incurable, but it can be treated with medication or surgery. The glaucoma specialists at Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island agree that early detection of glaucoma is vital to slow the progress of the disease. These specialists also offer special glaucoma treatments to lower intraocular pressure. Read on to learn more about glaucoma and how the glaucoma specialists at OCLI can help to treat and control your glaucoma.

Early detection of Glaucoma is vital to slow the progress the disease and save vision.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is often referred to as the “sneak thief of sight” because it produces no symptoms until later stages. Glaucoma is diagnosed through regular, routine eye examinations, which can help to catch glaucoma before it progresses.

Generally, the following symptoms have been associated with glaucoma:

• Clouded vision
• Headaches or Nausea
• Sensitivity to light
• Excessive blinking
• Excessive tearing 
• Decreased visual field (tunnel vision)

Types of Glaucoma

Closed-Angle Glaucoma

Closed-angle glaucoma occurs when the iris prevents proper intraocular fluid draining. This type of glaucoma gradually progresses producing no apparent symptoms until it has progressed into later stages. Closed-angle glaucoma can occur as an acute attack; intraocular pressure may increase rapidly, producing severe headache, eye pain, nausea, and halos.

Open-Angle Glaucoma

Like closed-angle glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma does not present any symptoms until it progresses to its later stages. However, patients eventually lose peripheral vision. Open-angle glaucoma can lead to total, permanent vision loss.

Normal-Tension Glaucoma  

Also known as low-tension glaucoma, normal-tension glaucoma is a condition in which vision loss and optic nerve damage occur despite normal intraocular pressure levels. This type of glaucoma may also result in peripheral vision loss.

Congenital Glaucoma

Congenital glaucoma is present or manifests at an early age; an infant or young child may have clouded corneas, eyelid spasms, sensitivity to light and excessive tearing.

Glaucoma Testing

Frequent, routine eye examinations help detect glaucoma. The trained glaucoma experts at Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island use a variety of special glaucoma tests to test the eyes’ drainage angle (gonioscopy), measure eye pressure (tonometry), evaluate the optic nerve (ophthalmolscopy), and test visual fields (perometry). Information gathered during these evaluations is compared over time at regular intervals to evaluate how the glaucoma has progressed.

An intraocular Pressure Check (Tonometry) measure intraocular pressure (IOP) and is used in the diagnosis and detection of glaucoma. For this test, an ophthalmologist uses eye drops to numb a patient’s eyes before using a special device to measure IOP. This test is painless and only takes a few minutes to complete.

During an Optic Nerve Examination (Ophthalmoscopy), an ophthalmologist examines the inside of the eye, focusing on the optic nerve and retina. For this test, the pupils are dilated and then magnified using an opthalmoscope, an instrument with a small light on the end). This allows the ophthalmologist to view the color and shape of the optic nerve. If there is an unusual color or shape to the optic nerve, the ophthalmologist will perform additional tests such as drainage angle inspection and visual field testing.

Drainage Angle Inspection (Gonioscopy) determines if the area where fluid drains of out of the eye is open or closed. If this area, called the drainage angle, is damaged, blocked, or clogged, pressure may increase within the eye.

Visual Field Evaluation (Preimetry) measures the visual field including peripheral vision to reveal areas of vision loss. A decrease in the visual field is often an early glaucoma sign.

The test is conducted by a technician who will ask a patient to look directly ahead at a central target. The patient is instructed to press a button on a buzzer when he or she sees a small, white light appear. It is important to keep the eyes focused on the central target so that the technician may get an accurate reading of the visual field.

If a patient is unable to view or identify when the small, white light appears, it may indicate a decreased visual field.

Glaucoma Treatments

While there is no cure for glaucoma, there are several treatments available that can help to manage the disease by lowering intraocular pressure. Medications and/or eye drops are common treatments. If intraocular pressure cannot be managed with medications and/or eye drops alone, surgery may be recommended. Surgery can help to alleviate pressure by expanding the eye’s existing drainage area, for better intraocular fluid drainage.

Medication

Glaucoma is often treated with either oral or topical medication such as eye drops, eye ointments, or inserts (medicated strips inserted in the corner of the eye). These work to reduce intraocular pressure by increasing the amount of fluid drainage from the eye or by reducing the amount of fluid produced within the eye.
Oral glaucoma medications may also be prescribed. Oral medications may be used in conjunction with topical medications to reduce intraocular pressure.

Surgery

If intraocular pressure cannot be controlled with oral or topical medications, an ophthalmologist may recommend glaucoma surgery.

There are two types of glaucoma surgeries that can help to control the condition:  Trabeculoplasty and Endoscopic CycloPhotocoagulation.

For the Trabecuolpasty procedure, an ophthalmologist uses a laser to remove tissue within the trabecular meshwork- the structure within the eye that controls the flow of fluid. This increases the amount of fluid outflow in the area, relieving pressure within the eye. 

For the endoscopic cyclophotocoagualtion (ECP) procedure, an ophthalmologist uses a laser on the ciliary tissue to decrease the production of fluid within the eye. Performed under local anesthesia, the procedure is one of the newest glaucoma surgeries. Studies have shown that the ECP procedure has significant success rate with a relatively low complication risk.

If you are a glaucoma patient or would like to be screened for glaucoma, call OCLI today to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our renowned cataract specialists.

If you would like to read further about glaucoma, you can do so at the National Eye Institute.

The Long Island glaucoma specialists of OCLI are renowned ophthalmologists, many of whom also treat Long Island cataract and LASIK patients. To learn more about cataract surgery or LASIK vision correction at OCLI, please visit our cataract or LASIK page.