Category: Glaucoma

Glaucoma Does Discriminate: Here’s What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself

The following article is shared by Dr. Potthoff from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Potthoff is an ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon in Traverse City, MI.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of vision loss, affecting about 3 million people in the United States.¹ But this potentially blinding eye disease does not affect all people equally. During Glaucoma Awareness Month in January, [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] and the American Academy of Ophthalmology is urging people to be screened, especially if you are at increased risk of glaucoma.

Who is at risk?

• African Americans are 6 to 8 times more likely to get glaucoma than white Americans. Blindness from glaucoma is 6 to 8 times more common in African Americans than white Americans.²
• People with diabetes are 2 times more likely to get glaucoma than people without diabetes.²
• Hispanic Americans face an increased risk comparable to African Americans, but the disease may also progress faster as they age, compared with other ethnic groups.³
• Asians are at an increased risk for the less common types of glaucoma: angle-closure glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma.²
• Also at risk are people over age 40, those who are severely nearsighted, and those who have a family history of glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damages the eye’s optic nerve. The optic nerve transmits visual information to the brain, allowing us to see. Because glaucoma often progresses slowly, affecting just peripheral or side vision, people with glaucoma can lose most of their vision before they even experience any symptoms. Central vision, the vision used to read, drive or watch TV, is unaffected until the disease is advanced.

“Just because you think you can see well, doesn’t mean all is well,” said Dianna Seldomridge, M.D., clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “Once vision is lost to glaucoma, it can’t be regained. That’s why regular screening, especially among those at higher risk for glaucoma, is absolutely vital. When caught early, glaucoma can be treated with eyedrops or an in-office laser treatment. But in advanced cases, surgery may be required to slow the vision loss and prevent further damage.”

For more information about eye health and how to protect your eyes, visit the Academy’s EyeSmart website.

¹ The Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Cost of Vision Problems. Prevent Blindness. Retrieved December 3, 2019, from https://www.preventblindness.org/sites/default/files/national/documents/Future_of_Vision_final_0.pdf

² Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/features/glaucoma-awareness/index.html

³ Quigley HA, West SK, et al. The prevalence of glaucoma in a population-based study of Hispanic subjects. Arch Ophthalmol. 2001;119:1819-1826.

Lifestyle Choices May Help Glaucoma Patients Preserve EyeSight

The following article is shared by Dr. Potthoff from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Potthoff is an ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon in Traverse City, MI.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of vision loss, affecting about 3 million people in the United States. Because there are no symptoms early on, about half of people with the disease don’t know they have it. Once vision is lost to glaucoma, it can’t be regained. During Glaucoma Awareness Month in January, Potthoff Eye Care & Surgery joins the American Academy of Ophthalmology in reminding the public that early detection and treatment, and some lifestyle choices can help protect your sight.

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, which transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. Typically, the disease progresses slowly, gradually destroying peripheral vision. Because people are unaware of early peripheral vision loss, a patient can lose most of it before they even know they have glaucoma. 

That’s why the Academy recommends that everyone have a comprehensive eye exam at age 40. This exam provides ophthalmologists – physicians who specialize in medical and surgical eye care – an opportunity to carefully examine the eye including the optic nerve for signs of damage and other possible problems that may affect vision. Individuals at greater risk for developing glaucoma include people: 

• over age 40;
• of African, Asian or Hispanic heritage;
• who have high eye pressure detected during an eye exam;
• who are farsighted or nearsighted;
• who have experienced eye trauma or eye injury;
• whose corneas are thin in the center; 
• or who have health problems such as diabetes, migraines, high blood pressure or poor blood circulation. 

Appropriate treatment for glaucoma depends on the specific type and severity of the disease. Medicated eye drops or laser treatments are the most common initial approach. These techniques work by lowering eye pressure to reduce the amount of fluid in the eye, and by increasing fluid outflow from the eye. Cataract surgery has also been shown to lower eye pressure.

Beyond drugs and surgery, several recent studies suggest that lifestyle choices may also help minimize the risk of losing vision to glaucoma.

Exercise regularly. A study just published in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, showed that people who engaged in physical activity can slow vision loss from glaucoma.

Meditate. A new study published last month in the Journal Glaucoma showed that a relaxation program with meditation can lower eye pressure in glaucoma patients and improve their quality of life by lowering stress hormones like cortisol. 

Don’t use CBD as a “natural” glaucoma remedy. CBD, or cannabidiol, is the non-psychotropic component of cannabis and hemp being touted as a magical cure-all. A study published last month in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science shows it actually raised eye pressure in mice.

Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, especially green, leafy ones. One study showed that people who ate more leafy vegetables have a 20 to 30 percent lower risk of developing glaucoma. Why? Nitrates in green vegetables can be converted to nitric oxide, which can improve blood flow and help regulate pressure inside the eye.

Don’t smoke. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of glaucoma and has an overall negative impact on eye health.

Maintain a healthy body weight. People with a higher body mass index (BMI) are at increased risk for diabetes, and having diabetes puts people at risk of glaucoma. Having a too low BMI is also associated with increased glaucoma risk.

“Patients are often surprised when their ophthalmologist tells them they have glaucoma because they don’t have symptoms,” said Dianna Seldomridge, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “That’s why it’s so important to have your eyes examined regularly; to detect the signs of disease you don’t see. The good news is that today’s innovative treatments and surgical techniques are better than ever.”

To learn more ways to keep your eyes healthy, visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart^® website.

How Often Should I Get An Eye Exam?

The answer depends on your age. This is because age is the single biggest risk factor for eye disease, including cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends that asymptomatic people over the age of 65 with no risk factors should have a dilated eye exam every 1-2 years. An exam like this can be performed by either an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Here in northern Michigan, we are fortunate to have a number of qualified Traverse City ophthalmologists and optometrists. For younger patients, the frequency decreases; for instance, patients 55 to 64 years old should have a dilated eye exam at least every 1-3 years.

Won’t I Know If Something Is Wrong With My Eyes?

Sometimes I am asked, “But wouldn’t I know if something was wrong with my eyes? Why do I need to have a ‘routine’ eye exam?” One word: glaucoma. Glaucoma is a potentially blinding eye disease that is insidious because it is asymptomatic until very late in the disease cycle, when much sight has been lost. This is because glaucoma causes changes in the peripheral vision that often go unnoticed because the brain can “fill in the gaps”. I recently saw a heart-breaking case of a relatively young man who thought the vision in his left eye was getting dim because of the beginning of a cataract forming; he actually has very severe glaucoma that has taken over 80% of the vision in that eye. He even told me that an eye care professional in the past had been concerned about glaucoma affecting his peripheral vision, but the patient had reassured himself by seeing if he could see his fingers in his far peripheral vision (he could). However, on formal visual field testing in my Traverse City office he demonstrated significant visual field loss, resulting in “tunnel vision”. It turns out that testing yourself with your fingers in your peripheral vision is too crude to detect glaucomatous damage.

Preglaucoma? Don’t Hesitate To Get A Second Opinion

One final word on glaucoma, because it is such a serious condition that can cause blindness. Glaucoma is a difficult disease to accurately diagnose early in the disease cycle, and a number of different tests can be necessary. With that said, some unsavory eye doctors have been known to use this fact to “overtest” patients who “might have glaucoma” or “preglaucoma”. In the majority of cases, extensive repeat testing is not necessary in glaucoma suspects or preglaucoma. My statement to all patients is that if they ever question whether or not they are being “overtested” they should simply get a second opinion, which can provide peace of mind.

Learn about glaucoma

Glaucoma is the 2nd leading cause of blindness in the United States!

Those words were enough to get my attention so I wanted to know more!  What is glaucoma? How do you recognize the warning signs? What can you do to keep it from progressing?

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve, a bundle of about 1 million individual nerves that transmit the visual signals from the eye to the brain. Pretty important wouldn’t you say? Glaucoma usually happens because fluid builds up in the front part of the eye and causes an increase in the eye’s pressure. The most common type of glaucoma is called primary open-angle glaucoma and it happens when the eye doesn’t drain fluid as it should. Think of it as a drain becoming gradually clogged. This type of glaucoma is painless but causes a gradual loss of vision.

Check out this great video from the American Academy of Ophthalmology explaining glaucoma:

There aren’t any warning signs in the early stages of open-angle glaucoma. By the time most people notice any changes to their vision the damage has been done and it can be severe. That’s why it’s important to have regular eye exams with an eye care provider, such as an optometrist or ophthalmologist, so they can detect this disease before you lose your vision! There is no cure for glaucoma but monitoring and treating high eye pressure can control it.

Another type of glaucoma is angle-closure glaucoma. It’s rare but it is a medical emergency! Angle-closure glaucoma symptoms include eye pain with nausea and sudden visual disturbances. When this type happens, the drainage angle gets completely blocked and eye pressure rises very quickly. This is considered an eye emergency, and you should call your ophthalmologist right away or you could go blind.

Risks factors for glaucoma include family history of the disease, being an African American over 40, or a Hispanic over 60. Other risk factors include being diabetic, having high blood pressure or heart disease, having a thinner cornea, chronic eye inflammation, or taking certain medications that increase eye pressure.

Treatments for glaucoma don’t cure the disease but can help stop it from progressing. These glaucoma treatments include eyedrop medication to reduce eye pressure, laser treatment, or conventional surgery. Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty or SLT uses a laser to vaporize the pigment that may be affecting the cells in the drainage system to lower the intraocular pressure. Conventional surgery consists of making a drainage flap or inserting a drainage tube to reduce the pressure in the eye.

Here at Potthoff Eye Care & Surgery in Traverse City, MI we have the most up-to-date equipment to test for and diagnose glaucoma….schedule an appointment today!