Laser treatments for glaucoma patients

If you are one of the over 4 million Americans who suffer from glaucoma, you may be interested in a treatment option known as cyclophotocoagulation. This is a laser surgery that is designed to reduce the fluid entering a patient’s eye, thereby lowering eye pressure. According to the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, cyclophotocoagulation is generally used to treat advanced open-angle glaucoma after other treatment options have not been successful.

In cases of open-angle glaucoma, a patient’s eye does not drain liquid properly, causing pressure to build up and eventually damage the optic nerve. To solve this, some patients turn to cyclophotocoagulation surgery, which uses a laser to damage the ciliary body so that it will create less fluid in the eye. This is generally an outpatient procedure and is performed with local anesthesia. After the surgery, some patients experience pain or inflammation, but this should go away after a couple of weeks.

An ophthalmologist in your True Dental Discounts vision plan will conduct follow-up exams to monitor the pressure in your eye and make sure your eye is healing properly. As a whole, Cyclophotocoagulation can be an extremely beneficial procedure in treating open-angle glaucoma, so talk to your eye doctor to see if it might help in your individual situation.

Should you replace your contacts?

You know the feeling: Your eyes begin to itch and feel dry. You notice redness and irritation. All of these signs point toward the fact that it’s probably time to replace your contact lenses. Despite popular belief, it’s not a good idea to stretch the time in between replacing your lenses. If an optometrist tells you to put in new lenses every month, you shouldn’t keep them in for six weeks.

Same goes for keeping daily wear lenses in for a week or more. For one thing, contacts can acquire a buildup of bacteria or minerals that may scratch your eye and lead to infection. The eyes are extremely delicate and must be taken care of with extreme caution; small changes in habit or environment can cause irritation or more permanent damage.

So, while it may be tempting to put off replacing your lenses to save a few dollars, it’s not worth the risk to your eyes. Plus, with True Dental Discounts, the money you save with your membership card makes up for any benefits of stretching your lens-wearing time. What could be better than that?

How is a person tested for Glaucoma?

Although we hear a lot about it, many people do not think about the possibility of having glaucoma. Glaucoma is a degenerative disease of the eye that gradually takes away a person’s vision due to damage to the optic nerve. The earlier this disease is caught, the greater the chance that its progress will be able to be slowed. This is why preventative care is so important.

During a visit to your eye doctor, he or she may perform a glaucoma test to make sure you aren’t suffering from this serious disease. The Glaucoma Research Foundation suggests a person should get tested at ages 35 and 40, and then every two years or so after that. There are two common tests that can be performed... (read more)