Glaucoma

Glaucoma Treatment in Long Beach

Glaucoma Statistics

More than 2.7 million Americans over the age of 40 have glaucoma and another 2 million do not know they have the disease. These numbers are expected to double by the year 2050. Glaucoma is known as the ‘silent stealer of vision’ because it can start to cause permanent vision loss without the patient being aware of the slow reduction in their peripheral vision. Because of the lack of symptoms, many people have already lost vision by the time they’re diagnosed. We recommend all people 40 or older, regardless of how they see, to have an annual eye exam to rule out glaucoma.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can cause progressive vision loss. Vision loss occurs when the optic nerve (the cable that connects the eyeball to the brain) is damaged. One of the most important risk factors is increased intraocular pressure (IOP). Generally, the higher the IOP, the higher the risk for glaucoma, though there are some people with normal pressures who can still lose vision from glaucoma. Other significant risk factors include: family members with glaucoma, African-American heritage, people over the age of 60 (especially Hispanics), and oral steroid use.

Glaucoma Treatment Options

There is currently no cure for glaucoma, but there are a number of treatment plans that can be performed by our glaucoma specialists here in Long Beach.

Medications

Depending on the type of glaucoma, the first line of treatment is usually a prescription drop that is instilled into the eye(s) on a daily basis. This drop is meant to reduce and stabilize the eye pressure to prevent further optic nerve damage. If successful, this drop can be continued indefinitely as long as it remains effective.

Laser Surgery

If medications don’t sufficiently control IOPs, there are several laser procedures that may help. The type of laser and procedure depends on the type of glaucoma. One of the safest procedures for treating primary open angle glaucoma is called selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). The success rate for IOP reduction is about 80-85%, and it can last up to 4 years. It reduces IOP by enhancing the outflow of fluid out of the eye. This is a minimally invasive, in-office, painless procedure that can be repeated in the future. Our Glaucoma Specialists perform this SLT procedure on several patients every week in our office.