Glaucoma steals sight from the unwary

Optometrists at WA Opticians can detect glaucoma by looking at the structure of your eyes and testing your peripheral vision.

People over 40 years and those with a family history of glaucoma should have a regular eye examination at least every 2 years.

Glaucoma affects more than 300,000 Australians.  It is a disease in which the optic nerve at the back of the eye is slowly destroyed. This prevents visual information getting from the eye to the brain. In most people this damage is associated with a higher than average pressure inside the eye and the condition can lead to blindness if left untreated.

Glaucoma usually progresses slowly, gradually destroying the edges of your visual field. The disease can go undetected because 90% of our attention is devoted to our central vision.  A person with glaucoma tends not to notice anything until the growing blind spots in each eye overlap each other.  This damage is irreversible and eventually causes blindness. Treatment can only slow the deterioration, not prevent it, so it is important to detect the problem and start treatment as early as possible.  If glaucoma is identified early and treated appropriately, good eyesight can usually be maintained.

Those with a family history of glaucoma are at higher risk of developing the disease. Diabetes or an eye injury can also increase risk and, while glaucoma is associated with the elderly, younger people can also develop the condition.

Frequent routine eye examinations are the best way to detect glaucoma.  They play a crucial roll in preventing blindness and give the best chance of managing the condition.

UV Protection helps prevent ptyerygia

A pterygium is a growth of tissue, often triangular-shaped, that usually starts in one corner of the eye and can grow onto the cornea.

Pterygia can occur in both eyes and although they can look unsightly and cause some discomfort, they are benign lesions and are usually not dangerous.

The exact causes of ptyerygia are not known but exposure to ultraviolet rays over a long period is a risk factor.  Harsh conditions such as heat, dryness, wind, dust and smoke can cause inflammation and irritation of existing pterygia and heredity is thought to play a role in their development.

Pterygia are more often seen in people from tropical climates as experienced in Northern Australia, but are also found in those who spend a great deal of time outdoors.

The best way to reduce your risk of developing a pterygium is to wear sunglasses whenever you are outdoors.

Optometrists at WA Opticians can provide advise about purchasing a good pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes against UV radiation.

In many cases, protecting your eyes from ultravoilet rays will stablise a ptergium if it is not actively growing.

In cases where the pterygium grows onto the cornea and distorts vision, the only effective treatment is surgical removal.  Fortunately, this requires relatively minor surgery, which is usually performed under a local anaesthetic. As pterygia often grow back after surgery, prevention is better than cure.

If you have an area of raised tissue on or around your eyes, we recommend consulting your optometrist to have it diagnosed.