senior-woman-glaucoma

At Risk for Glaucoma? 3 Things You Should Know About This Disease

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Glaucoma is a serious eye condition that can cause a variety of problems, including vision trouble and blindness. Anyone can get glaucoma, but some people are at particular risk, including people who have glaucoma in their family and people who have diabetes. If you’re at high risk for glaucoma, it’s important to understand the details of this condition and see your eye doctor in Champaign, IL on a regular basis.

1. What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a condition wherein the optic nerve is damaged, usually by excessive pressure in the eye. Over time, this damage can cause vision trouble and even blindness.

2. Can glaucoma be cured?

Glaucoma can’t be cured, but it can be treated to slow the progression of the disease and limit the damage. Once the damage is done, it can’t be undone. Any vision problems that you experience due to glaucoma, including blindness, is permanent.

3. What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

In its early stages, some types of glaucoma have no symptoms at all. However, symptoms to watch out for include:

  • Blurry vision
  • Severe headache
  • Redness in the eyes
  • Colored rings or haloes around lights
  • Nausea
  • Severe eye pain
  • Vomiting

Are you at risk for glaucoma? See your eye doctor.

Since some types of glaucoma have no symptoms in the early stages, it’s important to see your eye doctor on a regular basis. You may not be able to tell if you have glaucoma, but your eye doctor can.

You can protect your vision by getting comprehensive eye exams in Champaign, IL, regularly. Are you due for an eye exam? Call the professionals at Champaign Eye Professionals to make an appointment.

How Diabetes and Glaucoma Are Connected 

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Health conditions of the body often affect the health conditions of the eyes. For instance, there is a potential connection between diabetes and glaucoma. People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing glaucoma, a condition that damages the optic nerve and can lead to vision loss. This is because high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can damage blood vessels in the body, including those in the eye.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, which is responsible for transmitting visual information from the eye to the brain. The optic nerve is made up of many nerve fibers, and when these fibers are damaged, it can lead to vision loss or blindness.

Diagnosing Glaucoma

Your eye doctor in Champaign, IL will check your eyes for signs of glaucoma during your eye exam. This simple, non-invasive test could potentially save your sight.

Increased Risk Factors With Diabetes

In addition, people with diabetes are also more likely to have other risk factors for glaucoma, such as high blood pressure and a family history of the condition.

Preventing Glaucoma From Diabetes

People with diabetes need to work with their healthcare providers to manage their blood sugar levels and blood pressure to help reduce their risk of developing glaucoma and other complications. This may involve taking medications, making lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, and monitoring blood sugar levels regularly. It will certainly involve having a glaucoma test in Champaign, IL on a recurring basis.

If you have pre-diabetes or diabetes, it’s crucial to have regular eye exams to monitor for glaucoma and other eye problems. Early detection and treatment can help prevent or slow vision loss. For more information about the connection between diabetes and glaucoma, or to book your next appointment, please contact us today.

Young confident opthalmologist examining retina of mature female patient

Could I Have Glaucoma and Not Know It?

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Could you have glaucoma and not know it? This is a question that people sometimes ask – and the answer is yes. Glaucoma is a condition that displays few or no symptoms at first, and for some people, the first sign of a problem is loss of eye sight. When you lose your eye sight due to glaucoma, the damage is permanent. This is one of the reasons that it’s important to see the eye doctor in Champaign IL on a regular basis.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease that causes damage to your optic nerve. Glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss or total blindness, if it’s untreated. The damage to the optic nerve occurs when fluid builds up in the eyes, causing pressure on the nerve.

What Are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?

Although many patients display no symptoms of glaucoma in their early stages, some symptoms do eventually show.

  • Headaches
  • Pressure in the eyes
  • Pain in the eyes
  • Low-vision
  • Narrow vision
  • Tunnel vision
  • Blurry vision
  • Red eyes
  • Blind spots
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Rainbow-colored halos around the eyes

If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to see an eye doctor as soon as possible. Once your vision begins to deteriorate, it is too late to restore your vision to what it used to be.

How Can You Tell If You Have Glaucoma?

Watching for symptoms of glaucoma is not enough to protect yourself from this condition. The best way to tell if you have glaucoma is to see your eye doctor. If you do have glaucoma, see Champaign Eye Professionals for glaucoma treatment in Champaign IL. We can help.

Common Eye Conditions: Glaucoma

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Glaucoma is an eye condition that results from damage to your optic nerve. Several factors contribute to glaucoma, but most often it’s caused by a buildup of fluid that puts too much pressure on your eye. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to total vision loss, so it’s important to keep regular appointments for vision screenings with your optometrist in Champaign, IL. This is especially true if you begin noticing changes in your vision.

What Are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?

There are several types of glaucoma: open-angle, closed-angle, and normal tension. Open-angle is more common and includes symptoms such as blind spots and tunnel vision. Closed-angle glaucoma may cause you to see halos around lights, have blurry vision, and red, irritated eyes. More serious symptoms of closed-angle glaucoma include severe headache, nausea, vomiting, and eye pain.

If you have normal tension glaucoma, you may notice the loss of your peripheral vision first. In the later stages, you may develop tunnel vision. Normal tension glaucoma is not caused by high eye pressure. In fact, doctors don’t really know exactly what causes this form of the disease.

Why Early Detection is Key

Early detection by your optometrist can help you avoid worsening symptoms of glaucoma. It may also help prevent further deterioration of your optic nerve. This condition is often related to other chronic conditions such as hypertension or diabetes. So, if you’ve recently been diagnosed with either, a visit to your eye doctor in Champaign, IL, is especially important.

Treatment for Glaucoma in Champaign, IL

If you’ve recently begun noticing changes in your vision, a glaucoma screening in Champaign, IL, is recommended. A routine screening and early treatment could be your best defense against the long-term effects of glaucoma. Book an appointment with Champaign Eye Professionals today.