January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and is a perfect time to remember to be diligent and schedule an eye exam and glaucoma testing. Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve usually as a result of an increased pressure-Intraocular Pressure-caused by too much fluid building up in the front part of the eye. This is the most common type of glaucoma called Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and is typically painless and causes no vision changes at first! So, it is important to have regular eye exams and testing-especially if you are over 40 or someone in your family has glaucoma!
The only sure way to diagnose glaucoma is with a complete eye exam. A glaucoma screening that only checks eye pressure is not enough to find glaucoma. During a glaucoma exam, your eye will:
- Measure your eye pressure-called tonometry.
- Inspect your eye’s drainage angle-called gonioscopy.
- Examine your optic nerve for damage with a special lens
- Test your peripheral (side) vision-called visual field testing.
- Take a computer measurement of your optic nerve-called OCT.
- Measure the thickness of your cornea-called pachymetry.
These tests are part of your complete eye exam with glaucoma testing and give your doctor the necessary information to provide early detection and diagnose glaucoma. With early detection, diagnosis and treatment vision loss from glaucoma can be prevented.
If you or someone you know has not had recent eye exam with glaucoma testing please schedule one at Matossian Eye Associates in Pennington, NJ at 609-882-8833, Hamilton, NJ at 609-890-0772 or Doylestown, PA at 215-230-9200, or visit Matossian Eye Associates or Facebook.
Matossian Eye Associates is a multispecialty eye care center staffed by a team of ophthalmologist & optometrist eye doctors and retina specialists, cataract specialists, glaucoma specialists & eye plastic surgery specialists with office locations in Two Capital Way, Suite 326, Pennington, NJ 08534-609-882-8833, 1445 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Suite 106, Hamilton, NJ 08619-609-890-0772, 501 Hyde Park, Route 202, Doylestown, PA 18902-215-230-9200, an affiliate of Prism Vision Group.
