Cataract & Glaucoma Evaluation

What is a cataract and glaucoma evaluation?

Cataracts and glaucoma are common eye problems that can affect your vision:

Cataracts

Cataracts are clouded lenses. The lens in your eye bends light before sending it to the retina in the back of your eye. The light placement determines how clear your vision is. Cataracts usually form in later life when proteins in your eye start breaking down. These proteins clump together, clouding the lens and making your vision blurry.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve that sends visual information from your eye to your brain. Excessive optic nerve pressure is the most common cause of glaucoma. Pressure can build up if the fluid in your eye (aqueous humor) can’t drain as it should. Injuries and underlying health conditions can also cause glaucoma.

Routine cataract and glaucoma evaluations identify these conditions early when treatment is likely to be most successful.

What does a cataract and glaucoma evaluation involve?

A cataract and glaucoma evaluation involves having a thorough eye exam at Better Vision Eyecare. During the exam, your eye doctor tests your:

Visual acuity

This is a standard vision test that determines how clearly you see. You read letters up close and from far away.

Peripheral (side) vision

A visual field test shows how well you can see things at the sides of your vision without moving your eyes.

Eye muscle function test

This test identifies problems with the muscles that control eyeball movement. Your doctor moves an object around that you must follow with your eyes.

Pupil response test

Pupil response measures how light enters your eye. The pupil should dilate (get bigger) in the dark and shrink in bright light. To test this response, your doctor shines a small flashlight into each eye and checks how your pupils react.

Tonometry

Tonometry measures the pressure inside your eyes. Your doctor either aims a brief puff of air onto the eye or lightly touches it with a tool made for that purpose.

Dilation

Dilation involves having eye drops that widen your pupils, enabling your doctor to examine the interior eye structures.

What happens after my cataract and glaucoma evaluation?

If your cataract and glaucoma evaluation is negative (meaning you don’t have either condition), you just need to attend another checkup as advised by your Better Vision Eyecare doctor.

If you have glaucoma and/or cataracts, the team offers effective treatments that slow down disease progression and prevent sight loss. They also provide post-cataract evaluations and management.

Call Better Vision Eyecare or book an appointment online today to arrange a cataract and glaucoma evaluation before your sight deteriorates.