Roughly 3 million people in the U.S. suffer from glaucoma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In most cases, this eye condition is painless, but if left untreated could cause your optic nerve to become damaged permanently.

Although there’s still no cure for glaucoma, you could preserve your eyesight when you undergo early treatment for your condition. If you’re concerned about glaucoma or are suffering symptoms, staying vigilant and going to one of our eye doctors here at the Skowron Eye Care in Elmhurst, IL, for an eye checkup is key.
 

Glaucoma Causes

One common cause is high pressure inside the eye which leads to the compression of the optic nerve. Another common cause could be decreased blood flow to the optic nerve. However, even individuals with normal pressure in their eyes could still develop glaucoma. Uncontrolled high blood pressure could likewise cause optic nerve damage. The problem with diagnosing glaucoma is that it seldom causes pain and doesn’t come with noticeable warming signs. Further, damage to your vision is irreversible.
 

Glaucoma Symptoms

While glaucoma doesn’t typically cause noticeable symptoms during its earliest stages, there are certain warning signs that might suggest its onset. These include changes to your eyesight like sensitivity to light and blurry vision, pain around or in your eyes, and headaches. In most cases, these symptoms might come and go or get progressively worse over time. This is why routine eye exams by our Elmhurst eye doctor is extremely important because early detection leads to early treatment that can prevent the progression of glaucoma.
 

Glaucoma Treatment Options

Glaucoma isn’t curable. Also, vision loss and nerve damage due to this condition can’t be reversed. The good news is that when caught during the early stage, you can opt for treatment options that could prevent you from losing your vision and slow down the disease’s progression. Essentially, the main aim of treatment is to try and decrease pressure in the affected eye. Treatment options include oral medications, eye drops as well as traditional surgery and/or laser surgery.
 

Depending on the severity of your condition, your eye doctor may recommend oral drugs and medicated eye drops first. These drops work by reducing eye pressure through draining fluids or minimizing the fluid your eye produces. If these fail to work or are not enough to relieve your symptoms, your eye doctor may recommend surgery.
 

Worried about your vision?

If you are having vision problems, or think you are experiencing symptoms of glaucoma, reach out to us at Skowron Eye Care in Elmhurst, IL, by calling (630) 834-6244 to schedule an eye checkup with one of our eye doctors.