Glaucoma Specialist in Schuylkill County, PA

Glaucoma is a complex disease characterized by optic nerve damage leading to progressive vision loss. There is currently no way to restore vision already lost to glaucoma, but the team at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania can help you get early and effective treatment. Schuylkill County, PA, residents can come to see our glaucoma specialist in our Pottsville office. We also have several other convenient locations.

You’re Not Alone

If you have glaucoma, you are certainly not alone. Approximately three million Americans have glaucoma. There are several forms of the disease, but high internal eye pressure is the hallmark of all. Over time, the sustained increase in pressure causes damage to the optic nerve, and when that nerve is damaged, there is a disruption in the signals transmitted between the brain and the eye. The result is vision loss.

A person can have high pressure inside the eye without ever developing glaucoma. Likewise, a person with normal eye pressure can still develop glaucoma. All forms of the disease are usually only seen in patients once they reach age 40, and patients are at increased risk over age 60. If you have a family history of any type of glaucoma, you are at increased risk of developing the disease.

Will I Need Surgery?

Our eye care team usually starts treatments with prescription eye drops and may prescribe other medications. These treatments reduce internal eye pressure in glaucoma’s early stages. If these methods don’t work to lower pressure, surgery is often recommended.

Our surgeons perform two procedures. The first is a low-risk laser procedure known as laser trabeculoplasty, performed in our office on an outpatient basis. The surgeon creates new passageways in the drainage area to allow better drainage of the internal eye fluid buildup. When drainage is better, the intraocular pressure is lowered. Laser trabeculoplasty is quite effective.

Certain patients are not good candidates for the laser procedure; laser trabeculoplasty is often done but does not significantly lower pressure. In these cases, our surgeons perform a more traditional form of glaucoma surgery, which involves creating a new opening in the white part of the eye. Through this new opening, fluid can continuously drain to keep the internal eye pressure down.

After both surgeries, we prescribe eye drops to combat infection and swelling. Even if you have no complications, using these medications as prescribed for several weeks is essential. We restrict strenuous physical activities for the first two to four weeks after surgery to allow the eyes time to heal.

Glaucoma Surgeons Ready To See You

Are you a Schuylkill County, PA, resident? Our glaucoma specialist is ready to see you in the Pottsville office of Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania. Remember: once glaucoma has started, any vision loss that has already occurred cannot be corrected. However, there is good news – our treatments are very effective at preventing any further vision loss.

Early diagnosis is key, so don’t wait. Call us today at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania.