Eye Exams in Glaucoma Prevention

Glaucoma is a disease of the eyes that is a leading cause of blindness. Regular visits to Chico Vision Care Optometry in Chico, CA, gives you the best chance of catching glaucoma before it can cause permanent damage to your optic nerve.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is pressure in the eye that damages the optic nerve. The front of the eye between the lens and the cornea is home to a clear fluid called aqueous humor. Your eyes produce this fluid continuously and it drains off the old humor through a part of the eye called the drainage angle. When the fluid is not draining correctly it builds up and causes pressure in the eye that damages the optic nerve.

Types of Glaucoma

The two types of glaucoma are open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma. Open-angle glaucoma comes on over a period of time whereas angle-closure glaucoma comes on quickly and needs to be treated immediately. Open-angle glaucoma has no symptoms, so your yearly eye exam is vital to find early signs of damage to your optic nerve. Angle-closure glaucoma does have symptoms, such as blurry vision, pain in the eyes, headache, nausea, vomiting, and seeing rainbow-colored rings or halos around lights.

Regular Eye Exams

Regular eye exams should be had yearly after age 40. Your eye doctor will start giving you a test for glaucoma by this age. Your optometrist will give you a prescription for eye drops that can reduce the pressure in your eye if it is elevated. You will need to use these drops for the rest of your life and continue to get testing done to make sure the drops are effective.

Find an Optometrist Near Me in Chico, CA

It can be scary to suddenly have your vision deteriorate due to glaucoma, so schedule an eye exam at Chico Vision Care Optometry in Chico, CA, today before glaucoma can cause permanent damage. Give our office a call at (530) 342-9644 to make an appointment with our eye doctor.