Health & Wellness | Special Advertising Section |
Eye Associates of Wilmington, P.A.
Regular eye exams and an open discussion can help protect against glaucoma
Wilmington — Southport — Hampstead
www.wilmingtoneye.com (910) 763-3601
Glaucoma is a complex disease and is potentially blinding
with virtually no symptoms until its advanced stages.
Fortunately, it is treatable and, if detected early by your
eye doctor, vision loss can be prevented.
Glaucoma is often, but not always, associated with elevated
eye (intraocular) pressure, which can damage the eye’s optic
nerve and cause vision loss. The eye is a fluid-filled organ with
many intricate parts. The production, flow, and drainage of intra-ocular
fluid, are active, continuous processes needed to main-tain
healthy ocular structure and eye pressure.
Glaucoma can only be detected by your eye doctor and early
detection and treatment are the key to vision preservation.
Diagnosis requires measuring your vision, eye pressure (tonom-etry),
peripheral or side vision, and corneal thickness. Your doc-tor
will then determine if you drainage system is “open” or if it is
narrow and at risk of sudden closure by performing gonioscopy.
Examination of the optic nerve will determine if damage has
occurred. All of these tests are painless and can be performed
in your doctor’s office, but they must be performed at regular
intervals, up to four times a year in severe cases, to insure con-trol
of the disease and preserve vision.
Everyone is at risk for glaucoma and should have a full eye
exam by age 40. Individuals with a family history of glaucoma,
suffered trauma to the eye, or have used oral or topical steroids,
as well as African Americans and diabetics are at greater risk and
should see their eye care specialist regularly.
While glaucoma is a chronic and potentially blinding disease,
it can be treated with medicines, lasers, or surgery. With early
detection and treatment, you can manage this vision “thief” and
continue to enjoy an active lifestyle.
Katherine Ochsner, MD is the area’s most experienced, board-certified
and fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist. She is a fel-low
of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and member
of the American Glaucoma Society. Dr. Ochsner served as direc-tor
of glaucoma services and fellowship training for nearly ten
years at the University of Texas. Dr. Ochsner limits her practice
to diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment of all forms of
glaucoma, cataracts, and associated ocular conditions.
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WBM january 2011