Glaucoma Specialist in Cornwall, PA

Do you have glaucoma? Are you looking for a treatment specialist in Cornwall, PA? If so, look no further than the highly skilled glaucoma specialist team at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania. In addition to our locations in Wyomissing, Pottsville, Pottstown and Blandon, we have a new office to serve you at 770 Norman Drive in Lebanon.

We are the leading ophthalmology practice in the area, covering Lebanon, Berks, Lancaster, Montgomery and Schuylkill counties. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania ophthalmologists have nearly 50 years of experience treating glaucoma, and are trained on all current glaucoma treatments, including surgical procedures. Our doctors have minimized the irreversible effects of glaucoma for thousands of patients.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is characterized by an increased internal eye pressure which eventually causes loss of sight. There are two common forms of glaucoma: primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma.

Open-angle glaucoma usually has no warning signs or symptoms. It may take several years for patients to notice any perceptible vision loss because the disease progresses so slowly. In fact, regular eye exams are the only way to detect the main indicators of the disease – degrading vision and optic nerve damage.

Angle-closure glaucoma is a much more rare form of glaucoma. It develops quickly, and most of the time, angle-closure glaucoma affects only one eye. Symptoms are definitely noticeable and sometimes even worsen over a period of just a few hours. Symptoms include:

• Sudden and severe eye pain
• Headache or severe head pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Redness in one eye
• Sudden vision loss in one eye
• Sudden blurred vision
• Formation of either halos or rainbows around lights

While these symptoms may indicate something other than angle-closure glaucoma, they are definitely signs of a potentially serious problem. Patients who experience any of these symptoms should proceed to the nearest emergency room to seek immediate medical attention.

Glaucoma Treatment

Several factors determine treatment, including age, ethnicity and lifestyle factors. Doctors will examine how far your glaucoma disease has progressed, and also evaluate any other health conditions you may have. Our doctors will find the right glaucoma treatment for you – which can include prescription eye drops, medications or surgery.

Open-angle glaucoma can be treated first with medications and then by laser surgery if you are not responsive to the medications. In the laser surgery technique, the surgeon uses a laser beam to make small changes to the eye’s natural drainage system. This allows fluid to flow more easily, thereby decreasing the pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure).

Sometimes the laser technique does not adequately reduce pressure, and sometimes the glaucoma progresses and increases the eye pressure beyond that which can be minimized with the laser surgery. In these cases, the doctor will likely recommend a more conventional surgery known as trabeculectomy.

This conventional technique is often used to treat both open-angle and closed-angle glaucoma. It is also known as filtration surgery. The surgeon creates a passageway in the white tissue of the eye (sclera) to create new drainage for the excess eye fluid that is causing the pressure buildup.

Come See Us

If you are in the Cornwall, PA area and have been diagnosed with glaucoma, do not wait for your disease to worsen. Come see a glaucoma specialist at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania in Lebanon for treatment. Keep in mind that early diagnosis and treatment is the only way to minimize the vision loss that results from glaucoma.