Glaucoma Screening

Glaucoma is an eye condition that damages the optic nerve and can get worse over time. This damage is often linked to abnormally high pressure in your eye. Glaucoma, often hereditary, is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60.

Glaucoma is not curable and vision loss cannot be reversed. Early diagnosis is important as with medication and surgery, further loss of vision can be prevented.

Eye Pressure Check

Your eyes are filled with fluid that helps keep them inflated like a ball. The “normal” pressure in the eyes can change and differ from person to person. In healthy eyes, the fluids drain freely to keep the eye pressure steady.

A handheld tonometry test measures your intraocular pressure. It’s like pressing a balloon to check for air. It shows how firm your eyeball is with the same measurement units used to check blood pressure. The normal range for intraocular pressure is about 10-20 mmHG.

Normal intraocular pressure helps support the shape of the eye, which in turn supports the 2 million parts of the eye that help you see.

High intraocular pressure. When the fluid in the front of your eye doesn’t drain as well as it should, or your eye is producing too much fluid, pressure can get too high. Eye care professionals may call this ocular hypertension.

Everyone is at risk for glaucoma — from babies to senior citizens. Older people are at a higher risk for glaucoma but babies can be born with glaucoma. Young adults can get glaucoma, too.