Glaucoma

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma, also known as “Silent thief of sight”, that results an increase in intra ocular pressure that causes a permanent vision loss. Our healthy eyes maintain unblocked watery fluid that flows between cornea and lens. Once fluid is blocked, pressure increases without any symptoms or signs, that can damage optic nerve and leads to blindness. Hence, tonometry is a critical test to detect early sign of glaucoma.

How does tonometry test work?

Air puff tonometry is an non invasive eye care instrument that blows a light puff of air at your cornea, measuring the intra ocular pressure (IOP). Your optometrist will advise other eye care diagnostic tests to confirm diagnosis if the results show a suspect of glaucoma.

Tonometry Test for Glaucoma

 

Who needs to do tonometry test?

Your optometrist will advise for tonometry test if you:

  • are 60 years old and above
  • have a family history of glaucoma, diabetes and hypothyroidism
  • have recent eye injuries
  • myopia ( shortsightedness )
  • are taking long term steroid medications

Your optometrist will advise for tonometry test if you have experienced:

  • missing the peripheral vision. eg. not seeing the person sitting next to you
  • seeing vision like a door hole
  • sudden eye pain
  • constant blurry vision
  • dispersed lights like “astigmatism”
  • red eyes

What is the normal range of tonometry results?

According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, the normal IOP range is 12 to 22 mm Hg, “millimeters of mercury,” which are the units used to record eye pressure.

If the tonometry test comes back with a pressure reading exceeding 22 mmHg, you may have glaucoma or pre-glaucoma. Your optometrist will advise other eye care diagnostic tests to confirm diagnosis if the results show a suspect of glaucoma.

Tonometry test result can also show high pressure if you have had an eye injury, or if you have bleeding in the front of your eye caused by blood vessel problems, inflammation, or other eye care related issues.

A comprehensive eye care examination is essential, part of the important of eye care examination is to detect glaucoma that can be detected by optometrist.