DR. BOB'S BLOG

Glaucoma is often referred to as the "silent  thief" of vision loss. Glaucoma is caused by elevated pressure in the eye that damages the optic nerve.  It is one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada.  The most common form of glaucoma, open angle glaucoma, usually has no symptoms until you experience peripheral vision loss. Closed angle glaucoma, which is more rare, is caused by a sudden increase in eye pressure, the symptoms may include pain, blurred vision and halos around lights.  Glaucoma can lead to complete loss of vision if left untreated. The peripheral vision is affected first, followed by central vision loss during the late stages.  This is why is it very important to have your eyes tested by your Optometrist even if you think your prescription has not changed.  Only your Optometrist can diagnose the disease.  And if detected early you can prevent any vision loss. Your Optometrist will do a simple test to measure the pressure in the eye and then they will observe the optic nerve and measure your field of vision.  We also have an 3D Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) that will record a picture and do an cross-sectional scan of the optic nerve.