Should I Be Worried About Glaucoma?

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Your glaucoma risk increases as you age. While not everyone should spend their day worrying whether they have glaucoma, it is good to know who’s more at risk. If you’re over the age of 60, or if you’re of African-American descent and over the age of 40, you should have regular glaucoma screenings. Also, those with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or a family history of glaucoma must be more alert. If you’re Asian or Hispanic, you may be more at risk, as well. Lastly, if you use steroids or have suffered eye injury in the past, you should schedule a screening. Your eye doctor in Brookhaven, GA, can answer all your questions regarding this degenerative eye disease.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. It’s actually a group of diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve and lead to vision loss if not properly managed. If you have early-stage glaucoma, you may have no symptoms. This is why it’s so important to have regular glaucoma screenings if you fit into a high-risk group. If you do experience symptoms, they may include:

  • Blurred vision
  • Hazy vision
  • Headaches
  • Floaters
  • Patchy vision
  • Tunnel vision

Talk with your eye doctor if you’re worried about glaucoma. It’s easy to test for and diagnose this condition.

How Does My Eye Doctor Test for Glaucoma?

An ophthalmologist will perform a comprehensive eye exam to test for glaucoma. This includes a series of tests that include:

  • Tonometry — uses a brief puff of wind
  • Pachymetry — measures the thickness of your cornea
  • Perimetry — measures your peripheral vision
  • Dilated eye exam — allows your ophthalmologist to see your optic nerve up close
  • Gonioscopy — measures the angle between your iris and cornea

There is currently no cure for glaucoma, but this condition is easily managed to prevent further vision loss. Schedule a glaucoma screening in Brookhaven, GA, today by calling Brookleigh Family Eyecare.

What Causes Eye Twitching?

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Have you ever experienced involuntary eye movement? Eye twitches are very common, but they are always unwelcome and sometimes distracting. For the most part, eye twitching is a temporary nuisance. But if you experience eye twitching fairly frequently, you may want to know some of the causes so you can avoid them.

Too Much Caffeine

If you love drinking coffee or guzzling sugary soft drinks on a regular basis, this could explain why you are suffering from eye twitching. Ingesting too much caffeine in a short period of time has been linked to more frequent episodes of eye twitching..

Being Tired

When you are very tired, this also increases your chances of having eye twitches. Known as an ocular myokymia, this simply means that the facial muscles responsible for opening and closing your eyelids are also tired, which can lead to involuntary eye twitching. Consult with your Brookhaven, GA eye doctor for more information about ocular myokymia.

Excess Stress

When you are under a tremendous amount of stress, this may also lead to you developing an eye twitch. To lessen the twitching, you should consider finding ways to alleviate stress in your life. Reaction to Medication

In some situations, your eye twitching may be linked to a reaction your body is having to certain medications. Should this be the case, talk to your doctor about changing your medication.

Underlying Medical Conditions

Finally, eye twitching may also result from certain medical conditions. In fact, people who have suffered a stroke or have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or various nervous system disorders may suffer from eye twitching more than others.

While most eye twitching is not serious and goes away on its own, other times it may become a larger problem than you expected. If eye twitching has become a problem in your life, consult with your eye doctor in Brookhaven, GA for possible treatment options.

How Often Should My Child See the Eye Doctor?

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Many parents assume they only need to take their child to the eye doctor if their child shows signs that they are struggling with their vision. While it is true that your child should definitely see an eye doctor if they’re struggling to see, many children don’t know if they have vision problems, because they don’t have enough perspective to know what is acceptable vision and what is not. Taking your child to the eye doctor on a regular basis can help catch vision problems early.

First and Second Eye Exam

Take your child to the eye doctor for the first time when they’re six months old. The eye doctor will examine your child, talk about their visual habits, check their ability to track objects with their eyes, and so on. The eye examination will be short, sweet, and hopefully, everything will come up normal during the examination.

The next eye exam should happen when your child is three. At this age, they’ll be better able to communicate with the doctor about what they can and can’t see, so this examination will be a little more in-depth, and may be more revealing.

Back to School Eye Exams

Once your child is ready to go to school, take them to see the eye doctor every year before school begins. Good vision is critical for success in school – students need good vision to see the board, read books and follow lessons. Don’t skip the annual back-to-school exams!

See the Eye Doctor Right Away If Something Seems Wrong

Finally, take your child to the eye doctor if they squint to see clearly, if they need to sit at the front of the room to follow lessons in school, or if they sit too close to the television in order to see. Call Brookleigh Family Eye Care to make your child’s first appointment.