January is “National Glaucoma Awareness Month”
Local Eye MDs shed light on glaucoma diagnosis and treatment
By Cheryl L. Dejewski
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness for Latinos in the U.S. And, according to a recent study, up to 75 percent of Latinos with glaucoma are unaware that they even have the disease.
Glaucoma is known as the “Sneak Thief of Sight” because the most common type is painless and progresses so slowly that most people don’t notice symptoms for years—until severe permanent damage has already occurred. How can you protect yourself from losing sight to glaucoma? The partners at Eye Care Specialists, an ophthalmology practice that focuses on educating and caring for Milwaukee’s Latino community, have an answer. They advise that you schedule regular comprehensive dilated eye exams and follow your doctor’s recommendations for any necessary prescription medication eye drops and/or laser treatment. They also suggest you learn the following facts regarding glaucoma diagnosis, risks and treatment.
How Glaucoma
Affects Vision
“Glaucoma is a condition in which fluid pressure in the eye affects the optic nerve, thus damaging how visual information is carried from the retina to the brain. Left untreated, it first causes loss of side vision and eventually all sight—permanently. The most common type is painless and progresses so slowly that most people don’t notice symptoms for years—until severe permanent damage has occurred,” explains Mark Freedman, MD, a partner at Eye Care Specialists, a leading local ophthalmology practice that cares for tens of thousands of glaucoma patients.
Risk Factors
Dr. Brett Rhode, Head of Ophthalmology at Aurora Sinai Medical Center, lists the following risk factors for glaucoma:
• Age: Glaucoma is most common in adults over age 40, and the risk increases with each decade. Regular screenings should start at this time.
• Heredity: If you have a sibling or parent with glaucoma, your risk of developing the disease increases 5 to 10 times. As such, relatives of glaucoma patients should have their eyes checked every 1-2 years.
• Ethnicity: Latinos and blacks have up to a 4 time higher rate of developing glaucoma than white people. Asians also have a higher risk rate.
• Other factors: Nearsightedness, diabetes (doubles the risk of glaucoma), steroid use, and having a previous eye injury.
Detection
Daniel Ferguson, MD, an eye surgeon who performs advanced drainage implant procedures to alleviate glaucoma-related eye pressure, advises, “Since glaucoma and other sight-threatening conditions often don’t exhibit early symptoms, regular eye exams are vital after age 40.” A comprehensive exam should include: Ophthalmoscopy (a look inside at the back of the eye to check for signs of glaucoma abnormal optic nerve size and loss of pink coloring), Tonometry (a check of inner eye pressure done either with a puff of air or by painlessly touching the eye), Visual Field Testing (to create a computerized “map” of the range of existing sight, Gonioscopy (use of a special lens to see in to check if the drainage angle of the eye is open or closed), and an OCT laser scan (a painless scan similar to a CT scan to diagnose, track and treat changes to the optic nerve and retina—often before damage occurs).
Dangers of
Having Glaucoma
Glaucoma-related “tunneling” (loss) of side vision makes it difficult to safely navigate stairs, stay in the proper driving lane, detect obstacles, etc. As such, glaucoma has been shown to increase the risk of having a car accident by up to six times and triples the risk of falling.
Medical Treatment
Glaucoma can’t be cured, but treatment can usually halt further damage and vision loss. The most common type is a lifelong condition that requires continual management with prescription eye drops to lower pressure (by either decreasing fluid production or increasing outflow).
Laser Treatment
“In some cases, when drops alone cannot control pressure, side effects are intolerable, or multiple drops are required, laser treatment may be an alternative, including SLT (which increases fluid drainage) and ECP (which decreases fluid production). Both take less than
10 minutes at our surgery center and are covered by Medicare and most insurance plans. Candidacy depends on your specific condition and circumstances,” explains Daniel Paskowitz, MD, PhD, an ophthalmologist with credentials from Harvard and Johns Hopkins.
Benefits of Laser
Treatment
“Laser procedures are highly successful at controlling glaucoma and reducing the need for drops or surgery. This is especially important for people who already have other conditions requiring daily medication(s) that they have to worry about buying, taking and tracking,” says eye care specialist Dr. Michael Raciti.
Detection + Treatment = Vision Protection
“Glaucoma-related sight loss is often preventable with prompt diagnosis and care. But all of our expertise, equipment and treatments are of no use if patients don’t come in,” says David Scheidt, OD, past president of the Milwaukee Optometric Society. “Prompt diagnosis and treatment are vital to protecting and preserving vision.”
More Information
Encourage your siblings and other family members to be checked for glaucoma, especially if one of you has the disease. If any of you do not have an eye care specialist, you can call 414-321-7035 for a free educational booklet and information about scheduling a comprehensive screening (usually covered by insurance or Medicare) at their offices on 7th & Wisconsin Avenue, Mayfair Road across from the mall, or 102nd & National Avenue. They also offer educational eye-related information at www.eyecarespecialists.net.
