Glaucoma Testing at Total Family Eyecare’s Boca Raton Clinic

What is Glaucoma?

Per Glaucoma.org, glaucoma is an eye disease in which damage to the optic nerve leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness.

A glaucoma test is part of a comprehensive eye examination process and is used to measure the pressure of the fluid inside your eyes.

The Glaucoma Eye Exam

There is only one test that Dr. Sheiner uses – the Godlmann applanation tonometer. The phrase “tonometer” refers to the device that measures the pressure within your eyes.

Since your eye is full of fluid, there is an inherent pressure, which must lie within certain limits. If it’s too high, you may be at risk of glaucoma.

Applanation Tonometer Glaucoma Test

This device will briefly touch the surface of your eye in order to take a pressure measurement.

Dr. Sheiner will have a numbing agent dropped into each eye prior to each test. It is normally yellow in color and helps the doctor have a more detailed examination of your eye. The drops may make your eyes feel a little heavy, however the effect wears off in short order.

Some tonometers are hand held, while others are built into the slit lamp machine. The measurement is still the same: the tonometer briefly and gently touches the surface of your eye, takes an accurate pressure reading which Dr. Steve will want to know.

You might feel a light and brief tickling sensation during this procedure, it’s only the tonometer touching your eye.

A small number of patients, who have a vasovagal response, may become light headed during the applanation tonometer eye test. If this does happen, the staff is well prepared and no need to worry.

Glaucoma generally does not have any warning signs, and it might not be until you have experienced a vision loss that it will become apparent to you. For this reason, eye doctors will usually perform a glaucoma test at every comprehensive eye examination.

Prevention is the best cure in this case. By having a yearly eye examination with Dr. Sheiner, you reduce the risk of eye diseases harming your eyes.