How to Prevent Vision Loss from Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that is one of the largest causes of blindness in the world. The cause is still unknown, and there is no way of restoring vision that has been lost. However, regular eye care in Virginia Beachcan help you preserve your remaining vision, even if you are already affected by the disease.

Diagnosing Glaucoma

Glaucoma develops so gradually that most people do not realize they are affected for quite some time. It usually begins by limiting your peripheral vision, but your eyes can compensate for your vision loss and it will probably take some time before you realize that anything is wrong. Regular eye exams at a Virginia Beach eye care clinic can help to diagnose glaucoma while it is still relatively mild.

Risk Factors

Although the cause of glaucoma is not known, there are several risk factors connected with the disease. If you are at a higher risk of glaucoma, see an eye doctor for an easy test to make sure your eyes are healthy. Anyone over 40 or those who have a family history of glaucoma are at an elevated risk of developing the disease. Glaucoma is also often related to eye pressure, so you should be examined regularly if you have diabetes or other conditions that raise the pressure in your eyes. If you already have glaucoma in one eye, you are at high risk of developing it in your other eye, as well.

Glaucoma Treatment

Although vision loss caused by glaucoma is not currently reversible, many people can continue to live normal lives even with glaucoma. This is because your body does a good job at compensating for mild vision loss, so you may not even be able to tell the difference. The important thing is that you keep up with your regular eye care in Virginia Beach. In some cases, your eye doctor may recommend surgery to prevent any further vision loss. However, most people can stop the progress of their glaucoma with daily medications. It's very important that you take these medications regularly, or your glaucoma may begin to get worse again. You should also schedule regular appointments with your eye doctor to make sure your eye pressure is normal and look for any other issues that might affect your vision.