Because there are typically no symptoms in the early stages of open-angle glaucoma, the best way to find out if you have glaucoma or ocular hypertension (elevated IOP) is to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor.
During your visit, an eye doctor may run a series of tests to determine the following:
Measuring IOP
In order to measure intraocular pressure (IOP), an eye doctor or technician will use a tonometer. There are several different ways to measure IOP. Two common procedures are:
- Applanation tonometry: With applanation tonometry, the patient is given eye drops to numb the eyes. Special equipment touches the cornea in order to take an IOP measurement. Taking the IOP measurement is a quick and simple procedure.
- Air puff tonometry: With this
test, a puff of air is blown toward the patient's eyes. When
the IOP measurement is taken, the patient will feel a quick
puff of air on their eye. The puff of air feels as if
someone quickly blew into their eyes.
Measuring Optic Nerve Damage
The optic nerve, a delicate construction of over 1 million nerve fibers, connects the retina (at the back of the eye) to the brain. The optic nerve allows what the eye detects to be processed and recognized by the brain. Damage to the optic nerve is the medical definition of glaucoma.
There are several technologies used to measure damage to the optic nerve. The most common one is an ophthalmoscope. In a dilated eye exam, drops are placed in the eye to dilate (widen) the pupils so that an eye doctor can use the ophthalmoscope to view the back of the eye. This test helps detect any changes in the optic nerve, such as cupping of the optic disc.
There are also newer technologies-including digital imaging-that doctors may use to better understand the damage to the optic nerve and the severity of glaucoma. See your eye doctor regularly and ask about advanced tests to evaluate your visual field and identify any damage to your optic nerve. With the tests available from your eye doctor, you should be able to understand and track any defects in your vision.
For more information about the effects of glaucoma on the optic nerve, visit the interactive GLAUCOMA TUTORIAL. See Your Treatment to learn what can be done if your eye doctor diagnoses glaucoma or finds that your IOP is too high.
Determining Visual Field Loss
A perimetry test uses computerized equipment to measure "range of vision," otherwise known as visual field. With this test, a patient looks at a fixed point on a special computer screen. A series of light flashes are shown on the screen. The patient is required to press a button each time a light flash is seen. This test measures a patient's entire range of vision, including peripheral or side vision.
In patients with glaucoma, typically the side or peripheral vision is lost first, characterized by a narrowing of what is seen outside of center focus. People experiencing impaired vision due to glaucoma may maintain 20/20 vision in their center focus and still be considered legally blind if significant peripheral visual field loss has occurred.
This test is considered to be the best in determining disease progression and/or visual field defect for patients with glaucoma.
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(bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.03% is for the treatment of high eye pressure, also called intraocular pressure (IOP), in people with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
