Does Glaucoma Always Lead to Blindness?  

Glaucoma is an eye disease that develops slowly, over time. Often, there are no symptoms, which is why your eye doctor in Wilmington makes sure you get a glaucoma test with every visit. But if you already have glaucoma, you may be worried about your prospects regarding your vision. Does glaucoma always lead to blindness?

Glaucoma Almost Always Reduces Vision

There’s no getting around it. Glaucoma almost always reduces vision. The amount of vision that is lost due to glaucoma varies depending on when the disease was caught and what treatments were done. The Johns Hopkins Institute report that about 5% of certain persons with glaucoma will lose their ability to read standard print. Because glaucoma affects people differently, certain other people may have higher chances of losing partial vision. Furthermore, about 15% of people who develop glaucoma will end up losing the ability to read in one eye. This will affect their depth perception, since vision in both eyes is needed to discern distance. In turn, this loss of vision will likely lead to a loss of the person’s driver’s license, since they may not be able to pass a vision test even with corrective lenses.

Avoiding Glaucoma is the Best Option

The best option is to avoid getting glaucoma to begin with. This means reducing the risks that can lead to glaucoma. The first thing to do is to have regular eye exams so that you can be checked for signs of glaucoma. These tests are quick, painless and included with a standard eye exam at Paul Vision Institute.

Treating Glaucoma

If you do have glaucoma, your eye doctor in Wilmington may be able to halt its progression. This would be done by reducing the pressure inside the eye through a range of treatments.

For help with your glaucoma and to learn more about glaucoma prevention, please contact us today.