Written by: Cheryl terHorst
Reviewed by: Anne Louise Coleman MD PhD, Andrew George Iwach, MD, Michele C Lim MD, Rebecca J Taylor MD
Adapted from an aao.org article
Glaucoma: “The Sneak Thief of Sight”
Ernest sought help from an ophthalmologist, a physician who specializes in medical and surgical eye care, who diagnosed him with the eye disease glaucoma. Glaucoma is a chronic eye condition marked by elevated internal eye pressure, called intraocular pressure. Without treatment, it can cause permanent vision loss.
Glaucoma unfortunately has no obvious symptoms in the early stages. Due to this lack of forewarning, many patients like Ernest aren’t diagnosed until their sight has already been compromised.
“By the time he saw me there was already extensive damage to his eyes,” said Dr. Lim, vice chair and medical director for the University of California Davis Eye Center.
Ernest regrets ignoring the advice he was given to get his eye pressure checked 30 years prior to his initial diagnosis. He figured he was healthy, so he need not worry. Little did he know . . .
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