Best Glaucoma Specialists in Reading, PA

Does glaucoma have warning signs? How will you know if the disease sets in? Glaucoma often has no warning signs, so the best way to keep your eyes healthy is to have regular eye exams. Early detection by a glaucoma specialist is a key factor, and the best specialists are right here in Reading, PA at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania.

What Is Glaucoma?

Rather than being just one disease, glaucoma is actually a group of diseases. All forms of glaucoma involve fluid buildup in the eye. The resulting pressure from the fluid accumulation presses on and causes damage to the optic nerve. People older than age 60 are particularly susceptible to glaucoma, which is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the world today.

What Are the Symptoms?

Glaucoma does have warning signs, but these symptoms are often not easily detected unless spotted by an eye care specialist. Our doctors look for the following signs.

Difficulty with night driving is often the first sign of glaucoma. If you are seeing halos or rainbows around lights, seek an eye care specialist. However, night driving difficulty can be a sign of other eye issues, so don’t guess and don’t delay your eye exam.

In one form of glaucoma called open-angle glaucoma, peripheral vision loss is an early sign. When you look straight ahead and notice that your side vision is greatly reduced or even blurred, seek immediate medical attention for this sudden-onset form of the disease.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma is another sudden-onset form often characterized by sudden blurred vision. With this form of the disease, fluid rapidly accumulates in the front part of the eye, and the resulting pressure causes the sudden onset of blurred vision. If this happens to you, seek immediate medical attention.

Eye pain can also be a sign of rapid onset forms of glaucoma. The sharp pain is caused by the extremely rapid pressure buildup in the eye. Some patients even notice physical changes in the eye: swollen eyelids, iris color change, red eyes.

Glaucoma signs don’t always have to involve the eyes. Sudden headache is a hallmark of glaucoma, and if you experience a headache and eye pain together, or eye pain with nausea and/or vomiting, seek immediate medical attention to avoid the irreversible damage that glaucoma can cause.

The Importance of Having A Glaucoma Specialist

Any notable changes in your eyes should always be checked by an eye specialist. If any of these symptoms occur, come see us right away. Patients should keep in mind that glaucoma has no early warning signs. Most patients just experience gradual vision loss, which is normal with aging, therefore they don’t suspect glaucoma as a cause.

Don’t wait until you have symptoms, eye problems or vision problems. Seeing an eye specialist or glaucoma specialist every year is very important so that we can track changes to your eyes year after year. Waiting until you have a marked eye or vision problem could mean that glaucoma has already done significant irreversible damage.

Fortunately, Reading PA residents have the best glaucoma specialists at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania. We want you to be our next new patient, so give us a call.