Can You Treat Glaucoma? Learn More from Our New Hartford Eye Doctor

Glaucoma is a medical condition that damages the eye's optic nerve. In most cases, it's caused by a buildup in fluid inside the front of the eye. At Central New York Optometry P.L.L.C. our eye disease management team sees patients in all stages of glaucoma, and in most cases we can treat the eye to prevent further damage from happening.

New Hartford Eye Doctor Talks about Glaucoma

There is no single cause of glaucoma, but it generally happens when fluid builds up in the eye. This fluid is constantly circulating into and out of a space at the front of the eye. When one of the ducts closes, the fluid can't drain and it backs up. This pressure can eventually damage the optic nerve, the nerve that carries image messages to the brain. Once this damage has been done, it can't be reversed, but your New Hartford eye doctor can treat glaucoma to prevent further damage from happening. This is why having a Utica eye exam on a regular basis is so important, because the sooner glaucoma is diagnosed, the sooner we can treat it to stop the damage from spreading.

What Glaucoma Treatments are there?

The most common glaucoma treatment in New Hartford is medicinal eye drops. These drops reduce the pressure in your eye, removing the cause of future damage. In many cases, this is all the treatment needed. In more serious cases, our eye doctor in Utica can do laser surgery to open the ducts to allow the fluid to circulate in your eye, or use physical surgery to create a new opening at the bottom of your eye to allow the fluid out.

Contact Our Utica Eye Doctor Today

The best chance of treating glaucoma happens when it's caught very early, before the patient even notices any symptoms. This is why having a regular senior eye exam is so important. If you haven't had your eyes checked in over a year, call our Utica eye doctor to make an appointment.