When Sunshine and Kisses Aren't Enough: Healthcare Blogs

When you see your eye doctor, they do several tests on top of testing to see your visual acuity. One of the things that your eye doctor is going to test for is glaucoma. It is essential to test for that regularly because the sooner you can get it under control, the better you will be. How does your eye doctor test for glaucoma?

Glaucoma 

This illness destroys your optic nerves. Once you have glaucoma, there is no way to bring back the vision you have lost, which is why you need to get tested for it regularly. Glaucoma has different forms, open-angle and acute angle closure. Open-angle glaucoma sneaks up on you because it slowly progresses until you notice your vision is not good all of a sudden. Acute angle closure is something that happens much quicker. You may not have any problems until the symptoms, like severe headache and eye pain, kicks in. Your eye doctor will do various tests to check for glaucoma.  

Tonometry

With this test, the eye doctor or the optician will put some numbing drops in your eyes. When your eyes are numb, the person administering the test will use a tonometer to measure the inner pressure of your eye. Glaucoma is linked with higher internal eye pressure. The way the tonometer measures the pressure is to blow a small puff of air into your eye. How your eye reacts will let the eye doctor measure the pressure. 

Ophthalmoscopy

This is the test many people dread. It starts with getting your eyes dilated. After your pupils have opened up to their widest possible point, the eye doctor will make sure that you are sitting in a darkened room. The doctor will use a special tool that is lighted. That tool will let them look into your eye through your dilated pupil, and it magnifies your optic nerve. Your optometrist will see what color and shape the optic nerve is. That will let them know if you have too much pressure in your eye or already have glaucoma damage to your optic nerve. 

You need to make sure that you see your optometrist regularly. That way, you and your doctor can track any changes in your eye. One of the things that your doctor will check regularly is whether or not you have glaucoma. Your eye doctor has several tests they can use to check your eyes for glaucoma. 

To find out more, contact a company like Eye Wares.