The eye disease Glaucoma is a cause of blindness that can be easily treated if detected at an early stage, with the result of no loss of vision. As the patient often doesn’t suffer any symptoms until the disease has progressed, it is a definite reason to keep up to date with your eye examinations. Glaucoma occurs due to a build of pressure inside the eyeball. This happens when the fluid produced in the eye cannot drain away as it is meant to. The pressure builds and begins to affect the Optic nerve, which then reduces the sufferer’s field of vision. This usually happens so slowly that the patient is not aware of the problem.

Acute Glaucoma is a different issue, in that symptoms do appear, as the disease occurs suddenly. The eye will be painful and vision is quickly affected. Immediate treatment is vital to save sight. For either form of Glaucoma treatment may involve eye drops or surgery. Close monitoring is also vital, to keep the delicate balance between the in and out flow of fluid within the eye.

If you have Glaucoma then the NHS will pay for your sight tests, which should be done yearly. Close relatives over the age of forty will get their tests through the NHS too, as the problem can be hereditary. If you are diagnosed make sure your children, siblings and parents know and tell them to go for a check-up. The Optician screens for Glaucoma by reading the internal pressure of the eye, checking your field of vision, and examining the Optic nerve when they look into your eye. Usually pressure is checked by bouncing a puff of air onto the eye ball, to read the pressure. Older screening equipment needed anaesthetic drops so the eye could be touched, but nowadays the test is non-invasive. Field screeners emit flashes of light that you register to give a read out of your peripheral vision. There are different formats of tests, but all are quick and simple, and give a record of how good your field of vision is at a given time. When the Optician looks inside your eye with their ophthalmoscope they can examine the Optic disc and check for any changes or signs of high pressure. Subtle changes with any of these tests may be early signs of Glaucoma, so your Optician may refer you to the Hospital for further investigation. Always take their advice seriously and follow up warnings. It might just save your sight.