The Silent Killer of Vision

Glaucoma - an eye condition that can creep up on you like a stealthy pick pocket and rob you of your vision. You see, in its early stages there’s no symptoms. It’s not like toothache or eye ache - you simply don’t know you have it.

The only way to know is through an eye test. Why would you want to know? Because the earlier it’s detected, the easier it can be treated, but there is a catch. Once the damage is done to your eyes, it can’t be reversed - the key is to get in there before the vision is affected.

Are all eye tests the same? Unfortunately no. In the UK there’s a bare minimum standard, this is often what you would get with an NHS eye test. This standard has remained unchanged since around the 1950s. If you ask me, it’s a little out of date!

That is why at my practice I have state-of-the-art equipment such as the Optomap and the ZEISS OCT that brings your eye test into the 21st century, and by doing so can help spot Glaucoma up to 4 years earlier, compared to the standard tests.

So What Exactly is Glaucoma?

It’s an eye condition that causes damage to your optic nerve - this is essential for good vision. The damage is usually done through raised pressure inside the eye. There is a fluid that is constantly produced inside the eye which helps to keep the eye’s shape and supplies nutrients to the inside of the eye.

Normally the fluid drains out; but with glaucoma, there is a blockage and the fluid builds up, increasing the pressure and squashing the optic nerve.

The outer edge of the nerve is squashed first and this causes ‘peripheral’ vision loss, otherwise known as ‘tunnel vision’ and as the pressure builds up even more, eventually you get complete blindness.

If you would like to see my video explaining Glaucoma in more detail you can click here.

If you have a car older than 3 years, it’s a legal requirement to have an MOT. The crazy thing is, there is no legal requirement to have a yearly eye test.

Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of blindness in the UK.

The moral of the story - have a yearly eye test. Ideally, with an Optician that knows their stuff and has all the latest equipment - hint, hint, wink, wink!