I did have some eye discomfort, dryness, etc. I chalked this up to allergies. I wasn't immediately diagnosed, but she said it was suspect. About a year later the visual field test showed that it had worsened, so the diagnosis became official.
As far as the drops go, its a a brand-name drug. My doc suggested that there was a generic option available but it was also clear that it wasn't her preference. The signup process was online and as part of it I had click through on an agreement that said I wouldn't try to claim it on my insurance. I don't know what happens if you violate that. Maybe they refuse to give you refills. There were other suspicious aspects and dark patterns in the UI of the signup process; it smelled like a moneymaking scheme.
Hi! I'm an optometrist. There are usually no symptoms for glaucoma, which is why it's known as a "silent thief of sight." Dryness and irritation are not symptoms of glaucoma. It is usually suspected when your doctor looks inside your eye at the optic nerve and sees that the cup in the middle of the optic nerve looks larger than they think it should be and your eye pressure (measured with either the air puff test or little probe that quickly touches your eye) seems a higher than normal. There's also a machine called the OCT which can help to see if you might be suspect for glaucoma. The visual field test checks your side vision to see if there is functional damage from the glaucoma. Your doctor may monitor it and make it an official diagnosis if they see progression on any of these things (optic nerve, OCT, visual field).
There is one kind of high eye pressure (acute angle closure) that can lead to glaucoma that may be accompanied with redness and eye pain, but this is more rare and happens more quickly. Otherwise, most forms of glaucoma (normal tension and open angle glaucoma) are extremely slowly progressing and don't have any symptoms until it's too late, when lose your side vision and are left with tunnel vision.
Quadrant Eye uses some tests which can help to screen for glaucoma even when you have no symptoms. Thank you Quadrant Eye for making a higher quality online screening! I can't wait for the entire comprehensive eye exam to be available at home and reach more people who otherwise may not have easy or convenient access to a doctor's office on a regular basis.
Comments
I did have some eye discomfort, dryness, etc. I chalked this up to allergies. I wasn't immediately diagnosed, but she said it was suspect. About a year later the visual field test showed that it had worsened, so the diagnosis became official.
As far as the drops go, its a a brand-name drug. My doc suggested that there was a generic option available but it was also clear that it wasn't her preference. The signup process was online and as part of it I had click through on an agreement that said I wouldn't try to claim it on my insurance. I don't know what happens if you violate that. Maybe they refuse to give you refills. There were other suspicious aspects and dark patterns in the UI of the signup process; it smelled like a moneymaking scheme.
Hi! I'm an optometrist. There are usually no symptoms for glaucoma, which is why it's known as a "silent thief of sight." Dryness and irritation are not symptoms of glaucoma. It is usually suspected when your doctor looks inside your eye at the optic nerve and sees that the cup in the middle of the optic nerve looks larger than they think it should be and your eye pressure (measured with either the air puff test or little probe that quickly touches your eye) seems a higher than normal. There's also a machine called the OCT which can help to see if you might be suspect for glaucoma. The visual field test checks your side vision to see if there is functional damage from the glaucoma. Your doctor may monitor it and make it an official diagnosis if they see progression on any of these things (optic nerve, OCT, visual field).
There is one kind of high eye pressure (acute angle closure) that can lead to glaucoma that may be accompanied with redness and eye pain, but this is more rare and happens more quickly. Otherwise, most forms of glaucoma (normal tension and open angle glaucoma) are extremely slowly progressing and don't have any symptoms until it's too late, when lose your side vision and are left with tunnel vision.
Quadrant Eye uses some tests which can help to screen for glaucoma even when you have no symptoms. Thank you Quadrant Eye for making a higher quality online screening! I can't wait for the entire comprehensive eye exam to be available at home and reach more people who otherwise may not have easy or convenient access to a doctor's office on a regular basis.
Wow, thanks for the detailed note of support. I agree with all of the above.