|
The most important thing you can do to preserve the optic nerve is to get regular eye exams. Only an eye specialist can test eye pressure. Unfortunately, damage caused by glaucoma cannot be reversed. For this reason, it’s important to see your eye specialist on a regular basis. Through early detection, you and your eye specialist can help save your vision (before vision loss becomes a problem).
Each part of the exam provides important information that will help your eye specialist choose the right treatment for you. Your eye specialist can do a variety of tests to detect if you have glaucoma — even before you have any symptoms.
| Test |
Why it Is Done |
What to Expect |
| Patient Interview |
Establishes patient history |
Before checking your eyes, your eye specialist may ask you about your health, medical conditions, and past eye problems. He or she may ask what medicines — for example tablets, eye drops, inhalers, or creams — you are currently using. It's important to provide a complete list of all of your medicines including ones you purchase without a prescription. |
Visual Acuity Test
 |
Detects changes in vision |
Visual acuity is your ability to see far away or up close for reading. For this test, you may be asked to read from an eye chart. |
Slit-lamp Exam
 |
Evaluates the inside and the outside of the eye |
A slit-lamp — a type of magnifying glass — helps your eye specialist evaluate the inside and outside of your eyes. During this exam, you will place your head on a chin rest so your eye specialist can see a magnified view of your eye. A thin light beam lights up the eye. |
Tonometry (Eye Pressure Measurement)
 |
Checks eye pressure |
This test is important because eye pressure may affect the course of glaucoma more than anything else. Your eye specialist will place an anesthetic drop on the eye. It may sting briefly. Eye pressure can then be measured with a device known as a tonometer. Several other methods of measuring eye pressure are sometimes used. One of these, an “air puff” tonometer, is less accurate, but anesthetic eye drops are not required. This method of measurement is also generally painless. |
Gonioscopy
 |
Evaluates the drainage channels of the fluid in the eye |
Gonioscopy is used to detect which type of glaucoma you may have. Once the surface of the eye has been numbed with eye drops, your eye specialist will place a special contact lens on your eye. This special lens will allow your eye specialist to look at the eye's drainage system. |
Optic Nerve Exam
 |
Evaluates optic nerve structure |
Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, but the damage doesn’t hurt and is hard to detect. Your eye specialist must carefully look at the optic nerve at the back of the eye to detect injury. Eye drops are used to widen, or dilate, the pupil. This gives your eye specialist a better view of the optic nerve. Your eye specialist uses a special magnifying lens to examine your optic nerve for signs of damage and other eye problems. After the exam, your close-up vision may remain blurred for several hours. |
| Retina Exam |
Inspects the retina for signs of disease |
Many other diseases besides glaucoma can cause loss of vision or damage to the optic nerve or the retina around it. Your eye specialist will use many techniques to examine almost every part of your retina. Most use a bright light. |
| Visual Field Exam |
Discovers damage to vision |
The term visual field (peripheral vision) refers to the entire area you can see while looking at a fixed point. The visual field is large when both eyes are working properly. With glaucoma, the visual field becomes damaged, with patches of effective vision occurring within it. During the visual field exam, you will be asked to look straight ahead and press a button when you see a flash of light. These flashes will appear at random and in different places. This helps your eye specialist draw a map of your vision. In visual field exams, one eye is focused on at a time. |
|