We Are Toronto Glaucoma Experts

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada. Having regular, comprehensive eye exams is the best way to detect glaucoma and slow or even prevent vision loss.

Glaucoma is sometimes called “the silent thief of sight” because it often progresses slowly and without symptoms. By the time symptoms are noticeable, the disease has likely reached an advanced stage, causing significant damage to your sight.

Make sure glaucoma does not rob you of your sight. Book an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam today.

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What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that are characterized by high intraocular pressure. The high pressure is often caused by increased fluid buildup in the eye. Eventually, this causes damage to the optic nerve.

Your optic nerve is responsible for transmitting information from the eyes to the brain. When it becomes damaged, irreversible vision loss and even blindness can occur.

While not everyone with high pressure inside their eye will develop glaucoma, it’s still important to monitor your ocular health if increased pressure is present.

There are several types of glaucoma.

Types of Glaucoma

Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

This is the most common type of glaucoma, accounting for 90% of the cases in Canada. If too much of the eye’s natural fluid, called aqueous fluid, is produced or trapped in the eye, pressure can build up, damaging the optic nerve.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Less common than open-angle glaucoma, acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency that can cause vision loss within a day. It occurs when the drainage angle between the cornea and iris becomes too narrow.

Angle-closure glaucoma can also be a chronic condition. In this case, it takes weeks or years for the drainage angle to close.

Normal-Tension Glaucoma

People with normal-tension glaucoma have intraocular pressure that falls within the normal range but still sustain damage to their optic nerve. It may be caused by reduced blood supply to the optic nerve or an overly sensitive optic nerve.

Secondary Glaucoma

If injury, infection, or trauma to the eye occurs, intraocular pressure can rise, leading to secondary glaucoma.

Risk Factors For Glaucoma

There are several risk factors that might increase your susceptibility to glaucoma. These include:

Over 60 years of age
Family history of glaucoma
High myopia (nearsightedness)
High hyperopia (farsightedness)
Certain medications
Diabetes
Hereditary features like thin corneas

If any of these risk factors apply to you, it is important that you make an appointment for a comprehensive eye examination.

Recognize & Prevent Glaucoma

Generally, glaucoma impacts the peripheral (side) vision but can rapidly advance to damaging central vision if left untreated. Glaucoma cannot be prevented, but it can be managed, and the impacts can be reduced.

Our practice uses applanation tonometry to measure your intraocular pressure. This test measures the amount of pressure needed to gently flatten the cornea.

Anyone can get glaucoma, but people with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to develop open-angle glaucoma than those without diabetes.

Glaucoma Diagnosis

If you’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma, our eye care team will work closely with you to help you manage your disease. We are with you every step of the way to protect your vision and maintain your quality of life.

We will have you visit us for regular glaucoma check-ups on top of your annual eye exams. During this visit, we check your vision, ask you about irritated eyes, and discuss your concerns. We may also take this time to adjust your treatment plan, if necessary.

Many patients experience ocular surface diseases due to their glaucoma medications. But we want your eyes to remain happy and healthy, so we try different medications, add supportive drops, or begin dry eye treatment to provide you with long-term comfort. Any medications you are prescribed will be sent directly to your pharmacy.

If you have a concern about your glaucoma or vision, you can book an urgent glaucoma appointment (within 48 hours) between your regular exams.

Don’t hesitate to protect your eyes. Please call us soon to schedule an appointment.

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