Definition of Glaucoma:

Glaucoma is a disease in which the optic nerve begins to degenerate, slowly degenerating the patient’s peripheral vision.

This is an insidious disease of the eye that has been referred to as the “silent thief,” because it can “steal” vision without the patient being aware until it is too late. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world and its incidence is increasing as the world’s population ages. Dr. La Count feels strongly about detecting and managing this disease. Therefore, she has the latest state of the art equipment for this purpose. Glaucoma can be difficult to diagnose, and often a patient is considered a “glaucoma suspect” for many years before a diagnosis is made and treatment initiated. Glaucoma tests that may be done every 6 months to 2 years before a diagnosis is made include: tonometry, to test the pressure in the eye; pachemetry, to measure the thickness of the cornea to aid in determining a more accurate pressure in the eye; perimetry, to detect defects in a patient’s field of vision; and a scan of the nerve layer with a GDx.

Once glaucoma is diagnosed, the pressure needs to be lowered in the eye. This can be done with eye drops prescribed by Dr. La Count. However, sometimes it is necessary to refer the patient to an ophthalomogist, to perform surgery to reduce the pressure in the eye. In order to manage glaucoma, many of the tests mentioned to diagnose it are repeated every 3 months to 6 months to determine if the pressure in the eye is lowered far enough or consistently enough to slow down or even arrest the damage done to the optic nerve.