Glaucoma tests and treatments

Get your eyes checked regularly if you are at risk of glaucoma. There are three types of tests your ophthalmologist can conduct.

• Some changes may be apparent when your retina is examined through an ophthalmoscope, and scans of the retina may be performed, both to check for any damage and to establish a baseline against which to monitor any possible progress of the disease.

• There are several tests, called tonometry, that measure pressure inside the eyeball. These include the puff test and also more accurate tests that involve pressing a small instrument against the outside of the eye and measuring its resistance to pressure.
• Don't worry, your eyes will be numbed with anaesthetic drops first — but be careful not to rub them until the drops wear off in case you unknowingly hurt them.

• A test called perimetry looks at what you are able to see out of the corner of your eye.
• You sit with your chin resting at the edge of a bowl-shaped screen, focusing on a light in the middle. Whenever you notice a flash or a movement anywhere on the screen, you press a button; your responses allow the machine to map your visual fields, identifying any areas that you fail to spot.
• Each eye is tested separately and the whole test takes about 30 minutes.

• The earlier the treatment is started the better and, in the majority of cases, treatment stops eyesight from getting any worse.
• Most people are given eye drops that control the pressure in the eye, but these are not suitable for everyone; the drugs can cause problems in people who have heart or breathing disorders, for example, and may also interact with medications taken for other conditions.
• Laser treatment can also be successful although in some cases, patients need to continue using eye drops. Surgery is an option if other therapies fail.
• Overall, drug treatment is successful for most people, but you and your doctor might have to try several different types before you find the one that works best for you.