Glaucoma Testing and Treatment

Glaucoma doesn’t hurt, and in its early stages it doesn’t change how you see. It quietly damages the optic nerve, usually starting with your side vision, and your brain fills in the gaps so well that you never notice. By the time most people sense something is off, some vision is already gone, and glaucoma damage can’t be reversed.

That sounds grim, so here’s the encouraging part: caught early, glaucoma can almost always be controlled. Catching it early is our job.

Who should be checked

Everyone should be screened at a comprehensive eye exam, but your risk is higher if you:

• Are over 60
• Have a parent, brother or sister with glaucoma
• Have diabetes
• Have been told your eye pressure runs high
• Come from a background with a higher rate of glaucoma

If glaucoma runs in your family, please tell us. It changes how closely we watch.

How we test for glaucoma

A glaucoma check is more than one test, because eye pressure alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Depending on what we find, we use:

• Eye pressure testing. Yes, this is the puff of air. Our Topcon CT-80 tonometer is faster and more comfortable than the ones you may remember, and we’re at peace with being the bad guy for about one second. For glaucoma patients and suspects, we also use applanation tonometry for a more precise reading.
• An optic nerve exam, often with dilated pupils so we get a clear view of the back of the eye.
• Retinal photography and OCT imaging, which give us detailed pictures of the retina and optic nerve and a baseline to compare against in future years.
• Visual field testing on a Humphrey FDT, which maps your side vision and picks up losses you wouldn’t notice on your own.

Our retinal camera is connected to every exam room, so we can put the images on a screen and show you exactly what we’re looking at. See the technology we use.

How glaucoma is treated

Most glaucoma is treated with prescription eye drops that lower the pressure inside the eye, either by helping fluid drain or by reducing how much the eye makes. For many patients, drops and regular checkups are enough to keep things stable for years.

If pressure stays too high despite medication, laser treatment or surgery can help. In that case we coordinate with a glaucoma specialist and co-manage your care, so you still have a doctor close to home who knows your history.

Living with glaucoma

Glaucoma is a long-term condition, and managing it well comes down to two habits: use your drops as prescribed, and keep your follow-up visits, even when your eyes feel completely normal. They will feel normal. That’s the trouble with glaucoma. At each visit we compare your pressure, images and visual fields to the last time, so small changes get caught before they become big ones.

Dr. Jason Siegmund is a Board Certified Optometric Physician trained in the treatment and management of eye disease, and Dr. Cyndi Siegmund-Drenth also diagnoses and manages glaucoma.

Frequently asked questions

Can you feel glaucoma developing?

Usually not. The most common forms of glaucoma are painless and affect side vision first, and your brain fills in the gaps, so it goes unnoticed without an eye exam.

Who is at higher risk for glaucoma?

People over 60, anyone with a family history of glaucoma, people with diabetes or high eye pressure, and certain higher-risk ethnic groups. If glaucoma runs in your family, please tell us.

How does Siegmund Eye Care test for glaucoma?

We check your eye pressure with a non-contact tonometer (the puff of air), use applanation tonometry for a more precise reading when needed, examine the optic nerve, take retinal and OCT images, and map your side vision with visual field testing.

Can glaucoma be cured?

Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored, but when it is caught early it can almost always be controlled. Most patients are treated with prescription eye drops. If drops are not enough, we coordinate laser treatment or surgery with a glaucoma specialist and co-manage your care.

Schedule a glaucoma check in Myrtle Beach

Call (843) 796-1155 or request a time online. We’re at 4278 River Oaks Dr in Carolina Forest. To read more, see glaucoma, the silent thief of sight, or the glaucoma section of our eye conditions guide.