Best Glaucoma Doctor in Lancaster, PA

Are you at risk for glaucoma? You may be, particularly because glaucoma risk increases with advancing age. Over age 60, the risk further increases. Certain ethnicities, such as African Americans and Hispanics, are at higher risk due to genetics. Among all races, African Americans are at the highest risk of developing glaucoma, and tend to develop the disease at a much younger age, after age 40. For this reason, you need the best glaucoma doctor near Lancaster PA, and we’re nearby in Lebanon at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania.

What is glaucoma?

There are several types of glaucoma that involve fluid buildup in the eye. As the fluid accumulates and doesn’t drain, the internal eye pressure increases and eventually damages the optic nerve. In the most common form of glaucoma (the open-angle form of glaucoma), fluid passes too slowly through the spongy tissue network inside the eye, and fluid builds up.

Glaucoma remains the world’s leading cause of blindness. Early detection is key because when the disease is caught early, treatment is very effective at reducing any further vision loss. It is important for everyone to know that eye exams are the best way to detect and treat glaucoma. Annual eye exams are strongly recommended by our entire team of eye care professionals.

What signs should I look for?

People with glaucoma often notice a loss of peripheral or side vision when looking straight ahead. People with glaucoma often see halos or rainbows around lights at night. However, halos around lights are also indicative of other eye conditions, like cataracts.

Despite risk factors, each person is unique. What is a normal eye pressure for one person is high for another person. You know your eyes, so if you experience any changes in your vision, come see us for an appointment.

Michael Smith, MD joined our practice this past summer. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in both glaucoma and cataracts, and is also fellowship-trained at the prestigious Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida. In addition, he is a military veteran who served as a glaucoma specialist at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia and as a professor of surgery at the Uniformed Service University in Bethesda, Maryland.

What are the treatments?

Open-angle glaucoma is a progressive disease that occurs over time. Patients rarely experience any symptoms, so annual eye exams are the only method of detection. Our glaucoma doctors use medications and surgeries to treat glaucoma. If you have the disease, it is very important to start treatment right away. While we can’t reverse any damage or vision loss that has already occurred, our treatments are designed to stop or slow the progression of vision loss.

In cases of mild to moderate glaucoma, we first typically use prescription eye drops to lower the internal eye pressure. For more severe cases, surgery is often required, and our board-certified surgeons perform laser treatments and surgeries to lower the internal eye pressure by helping fluid drain from the eye. There are several different types of these fluid-draining procedures. If you experience any of the symptoms we have described, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with us. Don’t wait until you have vision problems. Come in for an eye exam today. It’s important, and why not? You’re in Lancaster PA near the best glaucoma doctor in the Lebanon office of Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania. Give us a call today.