Featured this month: Dr. Evan Lagouros, Fellowship-Trained Glaucoma Specialist
“Most people who have glaucoma don’t realize that they have it early in the disease course. Increased pressure is commonly associated with glaucoma; however, you can’t feel the pressure in your eye unless there’s a sudden and dramatic increase, and eye pressure alone is not sufficient to diagnose or treat glaucoma. Routine eye exams are the key to detecting the disease early enough to treat your condition and prevent progression of disease and loss of vision.
Glaucoma can be divided into open-angle and closed-angle glaucoma. Open-angle is caused by poor outflow of the drainage canals in your eye, resulting in increased pressure. Symptoms and damage can go unnoticed for an extended period of time. Closed-angle, the less common form of the two in the US, is caused by a mechanical obstruction in the drainage system inside of the eye, resulting in a sudden rise in pressure. This type develops very quickly and has noticeable symptoms of acute eye pain, decreased vision, headache, and/or eye redness. It can result in rapid damage to the eye from very high eye pressure.
People at higher higher risk of developing open-angle glaucoma are over the age of 60, are of African American or Hispanic descent and have family members with the disease. Early detection could help you keep your eyesight – schedule your complete eye exam today by calling Illinois Eye center at (309) 243-2400. You can also visit our website for more information on glaucoma and additional treatment options.” – Dr. Evan Lagouros
Dr. Lagouros recently spoke with Good Company to discuss glaucoma. Watch the video here.