There is no cure for glaucoma and vision loss is irreversible, so early detection and treatment is the key to saving sight.
If you (or someone you know) has been diagnosed with glaucoma - you can save someone’s sight. Anyone directly related to you – brother, sister, son, daughter - is 25% more likely to develop glaucoma too.
Your friends over the age of 50 are also at an increased risk.
Ask your family and friends to get their eyes tested - and save their sight now!
Treat yourself
We all love our treats. And just as we treat our teeth, heart and skin to regular check ups, our eyes need treating too! 300,000 Australians are affected by glaucoma, an eye disease that if left undiagnosed and untreated can cause blindness. But if detected early, vision loss can be prevented.
So, treat yourself, by treating your eyes to a simple test. Book a test with your optometrist today.
Did you know?
Glaucoma often goes unnoticed until a significant amount of damage has already occurred. Left untreated, glaucoma causes irreversible vision loss. Early detection can save sight.
Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease and is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in Australia. While vision loss can’t be restored, early diagnosis and treatment can delay or halt the progression of the disease. That is why it’s so important to detect the problem as early as possible.
It is estimated that over 50% of people with glaucoma are unaware they have it, they think they have healthy eyes.
Early detection saves sight.
Glaucoma Australia recommends all Australians 50 years or older visit an optometrist every 2 years for a comprehensive eye exam, and if you have a family history of glaucoma or are of Asian or African descent we recommend you get your eyes checked every 2 years from the age of 40.
If one of your family members has advanced glaucoma, we recommend you attend regular eye health checks 10 years earlier than the age your affected relative was diagnosed with glaucoma. Left untreated, glaucoma causes irreversible vision loss.
FAQs
What sort of tests are involved in diagnosing glaucoma?
We measure eye pressure, visual field and take images of the optic nerve. These three things help diagnose glaucoma.
My vision is always the same and my glasses script has not changed – does that mean my glaucoma is stable?
Not necessarily.
Glaucoma tends to affect your side vision first. The part of your vision that glasses correct is generally your central vision, which involves the macula rather than the optic nerve.
Your glasses could still be working great and that might not prompt you to go back to your optometrist. However, that doesn't mean the glaucoma is stable.
We still need to do extra tests every time just to make sure it's not getting worse
How do the different methods of eye pressure tests differ? Which is the best one for glaucoma?
We start with the non-contact version, where you feel an air puff go into your eye. If we suspect things like abnormally higher eye pressures, we measure the corneal thickness.
Do optometrists routinely check the angles of the eyes?
Yes, the most common method is using the microscope with the light on it called the slit lamp.
Can glaucoma tests detect macular degeneration?
The OCT machine, which scans through the optic nerve to check for glaucoma, can also detect macular degeneration because when we take the photo it looks at the middle part of the eye (macula) as well.
