Glaucoma Treatment

Glaucoma can cause irreversible damage to your optic nerve before you even notice changes in your vision, which is why early detection with regular eye exams is so important. If you’re suffering from glaucoma, the optometrists at Dr. Gottlieb Optometry in Lakewood, California, are licensed to treat the most common types of glaucoma, and they work closely with ophthalmologists for more complex cases. Schedule your visit today by calling the office or booking an appointment with the easy-to-use online tool. 

What causes glaucoma?

Glaucoma happens when aqueous humor, fluid in your eye, has issues properly draining. The building of liquid intensifies the pressure in your eye, which causes significant damage to your optic nerve. 

Glaucoma usually affects both of your eyes, but the disease doesn’t always progress evenly across both eyes. One eye might endure more pressure and damage than the other. 

Glaucoma can lead to progressive vision loss and blindness if left untreated.

Is there more than one type of glaucoma?

Glaucoma has two varieties:

Acute angle-closure glaucoma

This type of glaucoma comes on suddenly and can present with these symptoms:

• Eye redness 
• Intense headache
• Pain in your eyes or forehead
• Sudden blurry vision
• Vomiting or nausea
• Seeing halos or rainbows

It typically happens when your eye doesn’t have enough room to properly drain fluid because your iris is too close to your cornea. Acute angle-closure glaucoma is considered an eye emergency. 

Open-angle glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma develops gradually and doesn’t cause any noticeable changes in your vision or pain at first, which usually enables it to progress and damage your eye before you’re able to get treatment. It’s the most common type of glaucoma.

What are the indications that I have glaucoma?

Glaucoma symptoms aren’t particularly noticeable at first. It eventually causes tunnel vision and patchy blind spots in your peripheral vision, but by the time you do notice changes in your vision, the disease has already done permanent damage to your optic nerve.

Because of glaucoma’s penchant for developing silently, it’s incredibly important to screen for it with regular eye exams at Dr. Gottlieb Optometry. You should have a glaucoma screening every two years as part of your regular eye exam starting at age 65, or at age 40 if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a history of the disease in your family.

What are the treatment options for glaucoma?

While treatment can’t reverse the damage caused by glaucoma, it can help prevent further damage. Dr. Gottlieb Optometry has a number of tools on hand to properly diagnose and evaluate glaucoma, like:

• Optovue OCT (optical coherence tomography)
• Optomap retinal imaging
• Pachymeter
• Gonioscope
• Tonometer

Some of the more common treatments for glaucoma involve special prescription eye drops that help the fluid in your eye drain or decrease fluid production, which helps to relieve the pressure in your eye. 

Don’t wait any longer to treat your glaucoma. Schedule a visit with the team of experts at Dr. Gottlieb Optometry today by calling the office or booking a visit online.

Also serving locations including Del Amo/Palo Verde, Bellflower, Long Beach, Cerritos, Artesia, and Hawaiian Gardens. Call or book online for you appointment today!