Are you a glaucoma suspect?
A glaucoma suspect is someone who has a risk of developing glaucoma. This includes higher pressure in the eye, evidence of optic nerve damage or vision loss.
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve. Usually, this damage is due to high pressure in the eye. However, damage to the nerve can also occur with normal and low eye pressures. Glaucoma can cause irreversible vision loss, and usually has no early symptoms.
This is why your doctor will note your risk of glaucoma. This means they can investigate further to ensure you don’t have glaucoma at present, and also monitor you in the future.
What does glaucoma suspect mean?
If your eye doctor has told you that you are a glaucoma suspect, they probably saw one or more of the following risk factors during your eye exam:
- High eye pressure (intraocular pressure or IOP)
- Abnormal appearance of the optic nerve (which connects eye to brain)
- Abnormalities of the retinal nerve fiber layer
- Defect in visual field
- Abnormal drainage angle of the eye, or shallow anterior chamber
What are the risk factors for glaucoma?
These factors can increase your risk of developing glaucoma:
- Age – Glaucoma can affect any age group, but people over age 60 are at increased risk for the disease.
- Family history – Having blood relative with glaucoma increases your risk of developing glaucoma.
- Race – African Americans, and Hispanics have a higher incidence of open angle glaucoma. Asians and Native Alaskans have a higher risk of angle closure glaucoma. Japanese have a higher risk of developing low-tension or normal tension glaucoma.
- Certain metabolic diseases – Diabetes, high blood pressure, migraine, and thyroid disease have been found to increase the risk of developing glaucoma.
- Eye injury – Trauma to the eye can result in a sudden increase in eye pressure. It can also increase the chances of developing glaucoma in the future.
- Eye diseases– Certain eye diseases like eye inflammation (uveitis), high myopia and tumours of the eye may increase the risk of glaucoma.
- Corticosteroid use. Extended use of steroids can increase the eye pressure, and thus, the risk of glaucoma.
- Central corneal thickness: People with thin corneas are more vulnerable to developing glaucoma.
- Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of developing glaucoma, and also increases the rate of progression.
Do glaucoma suspects always develop glaucoma?
No. Only some, and not all, glaucoma suspects develop glaucoma. Your eye doctor monitor you for any signs of early disease, and ensure your eyes remain healthy.
Vision loss from glaucoma is irreversible, and often preventable. Therefore, if you are a glaucoma suspect, make sure you follow your eye doctor’s instructions. She will look for signs of glaucoma during each eye exam so as to diagnose the disease early and prevent vision loss.
What are the tests for glaucoma suspects? And often will I be tested?
If you have a low risk for developing glaucoma, your doctor will see you every six to 12 months. In case your risk is higher, she may want to see you more frequently.
At each follow-up visit, your doctor will review:
- Eye pressure (including diurnal variation, or water drinking test)
- Vision
- Retinal nerve fibre layer and optic nerve (on slit lamp, and also with special tests, to check for progression of disease)
- Visual fields (to check for deterioration)
- Central corneal thickness (usually not performed after one check)
- Drainage angle of the eye (usually requires gonioscopy)
If at some point your doctor thinks you require treatment, she will discuss all your options. She will consider many factors, including your preference, when beginning treatment. Initial treatment usually is with eye drops or laser surgery to lower the eye pressure. This decreases the risk of vision loss. Surgery is usually limited to advanced cases.
How do I decrease my risk of glaucoma?
Here is what you can do to reduce your risk of vision loss and maintain your eye health:
- Remember your routine comprehensive eye exams. Do not miss your follow-up appointments.
- Eat nutritious whole foods, including green leafy vegetables and colored fruits and vegetables.
- Establish a regular exercise routine. If you are a glaucoma suspect, discuss your exercise routine with your eye doctor.
- Maintain your optimal body weight. Control your blood pressure and blood sugar.
- Stop smoking.
- If you have been prescribed steroids, inform your doctor you are a glaucoma suspect. Also, schedule a visit with your glaucoma doctor to make sure the steroids have not incraesed your eye pressure.
- Wear protective eyewear to prevent eye injuries.
- Listen to your doctor. If you are a glaucoma suspect, the best way to decrease your risk of vision loss from glaucoma is to listen to what your eye doctor says. Discuss your risk, and follow their recommendations on routine follow-up care.
