What Is Glaucoma?

Your eyes are your window to the world, and making sure that they stay healthy and clear is important. When you require an optometrist in St. James, MN, for an eye exam, a vision exam, glaucoma screening, or to change your eye glasses, you can count on our eye doctor at Olson Optical.

Glaucoma is an eye condition that causes damage to the optic nerve. There are two main types of glaucoma; open angle and closed angle. The eye is primarily made up of water, protein, and collagen. Aqueous humor is a clear watery fluid that fills the space between the cornea and the structures that are in the middle of the eye. Its purpose is to deliver oxygen to the cornea and remove waste products. It flows out of the eye into the veins in the back of the eye.

When something happens to the natural drainage system in the eye, the pressure in the eye rises and this can cause damage to the optic nerve and lead to blindness. This is known as glaucoma.

Open Angle Glaucoma

Open angle glaucoma is by far the most common type of glaucoma. In this type of glaucoma, something goes wrong with the drainage of the aqueous humor and more is coming in than is going out. This leads to a gradual increase in the pressure in the eye. As the pressure increases, it begins to cause damage to the optic nerve. It is so slow that it may take quite a while to notice and the damage will already be done.

Early diagnosis is essential and if you get a comprehensive eye exam yearly, your eye pressure will be checked and the necessary treatment can be prescribed to minimize the damage to the optic nerve.

Closed Angle Glaucoma

Closed angle glaucoma is an acute condition that comes on very quickly, with symptoms when the drainage is completely blocked. This is an emergency condition that needs to be treated immediately to avoid blindness. For some people, the condition comes on slowly, and it is not until the vision is affected that they realize something is wrong. Regular eye exams from our optometrist near you can help catch these issues earlier and prevent vision loss.

Monitor and Treat Eye Disease with Help from Our Optometrist in St. James, MN

At Olson Optical, our eye doctor provides an eye exam, a vision exam and plenty of choices when it comes to eye glasses. We are here to help you see clearly for years to come. Call us at (507)-375-2020 to schedule an appointment or to learn more.