John D. Hofbauer, MD

Dr.Fox may use one of several tools to diagnose glaucoma. A diagnosis of glaucoma no longer simply relies on the presence of pressure within the eye. Optic nerve damage or a strong suggestion of damage must also be present. This damage can be clearly seen during a dilated eye examination of the optic nerve. In general, the telltale sign of this condition is a loss of peripheral vision. With peripheral vision loss, a person can see in front of him- or herself but has lost the vision to the side.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology strongly supports glaucoma screening of those with the following specific recommendations:

Everyone over age 65 and African-Americans over 40 years old should have periodic eye exams, including tests for glaucoma, every other year.
African-Americans ages 20 - 39 should have eye examinations every 3 - 5 years.

Other people at higher risk (people with diabetes, history of eye injuries, a family history of glaucoma, or those taking corticosteroid medications) should have eye examinations every year after age 35.
People with known glaucoma should have frequent examinations to check peripheral vision and to be sure treatment is maintaining a safe eye pressure. After such examinations, the ophthalmologist will assess current treatment and make necessary adjustments

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the result of aqueous humor inside the eye and can be checked using a painless procedure called tonometry. A tonometer (small smooth instrument) Is used after the application of numbing drops. Testing for the presence of optic nerve damage can also reveal the beginnings of glaucoma. Dr. Fox uses instruments to look directly through the pupil to the back of your eye in order to check the fibers in your optic nerve for signs of damage.

To check whether your visual field has been affected by glaucoma, Dr. Fox will check your peripheral (side) vision through a special test. Loss of side vision can be a tell tale sign of glaucoma.

She may also employ a test which measures the thickness of your corneas (pachymetry). In this test, the eyes are first numbed, and checked for central corneal thickness. If you have thick corneas your eye-pressure reading may be higher than normal though you might not have glaucoma. Similarly, people with thin corneas can have normal pressure readings and still have glaucoma.

Another tests is gonioscopy, To distinguish between open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma, gonioscopy involves a special lens placed on your eye to inspect the drainage angle.