When the optic nerve, which is the main nerve dealing with vision, is damaged due to elevated eye pressure, it is usually considered an eye disease called glaucoma. The damage to the optic nerve is progressive and often begins with a minimal loss of peripheral vision. When this disease is undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to blindness. In fact, your glaucoma Murfreesboro specialist can show you statistics that this group of diseases is the leading cause of blindness throughout the world.
Your glaucoma Murfreesboro vision center will have lots of information on glaucoma and its causes. The main cause seems to be elevated eye pressure. The eye is shaped like a round ball and that shape is maintained at a certain pressure by the clear liquid that enters the front of the eye, circulates around, and then exits through a drainage area. If the drainage area becomes blocked, the fluid that normally leaves the eye is retained; pressure increases and the eye becomes harder and pushes on the optic nerve and the many delicate nerve fibers, which can cause damage.
There are several different types of glaucoma that are all grouped together, and for most of them, there are few if any symptoms until the disease has made quite a bit of progress. The average person cannot usually tell that the nerve fibers are being damaged until quite some time has passed and the disease has progressed. Loss of peripheral vision is the most commonly noticed symptom, but it usually doesn’t appear until the disease has progressed into later stages. With other types of glaucoma, the patient may notice severe eye pain and blurring of vision as well as nausea.
Because the symptoms are difficult for the average person to notice, it is very important to have your glaucoma Murfreesboro ophthalmologist give you a thorough eye exam regularly. The ophthalmologist should measure the pressure, look at the drainage angle, determine whether there is optic nerve damage and test your peripheral vision. He or she will also request a family history because in addition to age, heredity can be a factor in developing this disease. Other issues may include eye injuries or medical problems such as diabetes. When a person has a propensity for the disease, the ophthalmologist will most likely schedule regular visits to test for the beginning stages of glaucoma.
Glaucoma Murfreesboro Mccabe Vision Center specializes in treating glaucoma using several different techniques such as a medications & laser surgery. Their specialist can give you a through evaluation to determine if you have a problem.
