Glaucoma Specialist in Pottstown, PA

When detected early, glaucoma can be treated so that vision loss in minimized – before the disease becomes too advanced. These days there are many treatment options available, and there is a glaucoma specialist right here at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania in Pottstown, PA who is ready to meet your needs and answer your questions.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an increase in the pressure inside the eye; it can eventually lead to a loss of sight. There are two forms of glaucoma: open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma.

Patients with open-angle glaucoma typically experience no warning signs and have no symptoms. Open-angle glaucoma progresses very slowly over several years, so patients usually do not notice any perceptible vision loss. For this reason, it is very important to get regular eye exams, which is the only way to detect the disease. If your regular eye doctor suspects you have glaucoma, they will recommend you to an eye specialist.

Angle-closure glaucoma is much rarer, developing quickly and usually only occurring in one eye. You will definitely notice this form of glaucoma, characterized by sudden and severe eye pain. You may also have a severe headache, blurred vision or vision loss in one eye and nausea and vomiting. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention at the nearest emergency room.

How is glaucoma treated?

Treatment for glaucoma can take many forms: eye drops, pills and either traditional or laser surgery. Doctors can use these treatments in combination to find the most appropriate remedy for your situation. Once the doctor examines you and determines how far the glaucoma has progressed, he or she will find the right treatment. Other medical conditions you have will also be factored into selecting the appropriate treatment regimen.

For open-angle glaucoma, doctors typically start with medications, but then progress to laser surgery if the condition does not respond to medication.

What kind of physician can treat glaucoma?

At Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania, we are specially trained to treat glaucoma. First, our surgeons are both board-certified and fellowship-trained on all the latest glaucoma treatments and surgical advancements in this specialty field. Collectively, the surgeons have more than 50 years of experience treating glaucoma. For all these reasons, we are the leading ophthalmology practice in the area. The effects of glaucoma are irreversible if left untreated, and our doctors have minimized the damage caused by this disease for thousands of patients.

What is involved in glaucoma surgery?

Laser surgery is the first line of surgical treatment. The surgeon makes small incisions in the white portion of the eye (called the sclera) to improve the eye’s natural drainage system, thereby attempting to decrease the pressure inside the eye (called intraocular pressure).

If this method does not adequately reduce pressure, the surgeon will likely elect to perform a more conventional surgery called a trabeculectomy, also known as filtration surgery. This procedure is used to treat both open-angle and closed-angle glaucoma; the surgeon creates a new passageway in the sclera to create a new drainage pathway.

Come See Us

If you are in the Pottstown area and have been diagnosed with glaucoma, do not wait for your disease to worsen. Come see us our Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania glaucoma specialist in Pottstown, PA for treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment are the only way to minimize the vision loss caused by glaucoma.