At M&M Eye Institute, our experienced eye doctors use advanced diagnostic tools and treatment options to detect glaucoma early and protect your vision for life.
Understanding Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, often due to increased pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure). Over time, this pressure can lead to irreversible vision loss if not managed properly. Because symptoms typically develop gradually, many people don’t realize they have glaucoma until significant vision loss has occurred.
The glaucoma specialists at M&M Eye Institute provide comprehensive dilated eye examinations to monitor your glaucoma so proper treatment can be delivered and vision loss can be avoided.
If you are at risk for Glaucoma or symptoms of Glaucoma are making you uncomfortable and interfering with your daily life, call us. Our doctors across Arizona have the expertise and tools to give you the relief you need.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, typically due to fluid pressure inside the eye becoming too high for the nerve to handle. Over time, this damage can cause permanent vision loss, particularly in peripheral vision, if left untreated.
Most people with the most common type, open-angle glaucoma, do not feel pain or notice early symptoms. Vision usually changes slowly, and side vision goes first, which is easy to miss. This is why regular eye exams are so important, especially after age 40 or if glaucoma runs in your family.
During a glaucoma evaluation, your doctor measures your eye pressure, checks your optic nerve with special lenses, and tests your side vision. You may also have imaging of the optic nerve and cornea. These tests together show whether you have glaucoma, are at risk, or need monitoring.
Glaucoma cannot be cured, and lost vision usually does not come back. The good news is that treatment almost always slows or stops further damage when it is caught early. The goal of every glaucoma plan is to lower eye pressure enough to protect your optic nerve for the long term.
Glaucoma treatment often starts with prescription eye drops that lower eye pressure. Some patients benefit from laser procedures that facilitate the drainage of fluid more easily. Others may need a minimally invasive option that still protects their vision.
Most people who follow their treatment plan and keep regular appointments do not go blind from glaucoma. Serious vision loss usually happens when glaucoma is not diagnosed, when treatment is delayed, or when drops and follow-up visits are skipped. Staying consistent with care gives you the best chance to keep your sight.
Some glaucoma drops can cause redness, stinging, changes in eye color or eyelash growth, or mild blurred vision. Many people tolerate them well. If you notice side effects that bother you, tell your doctor. We can adjust the dose, change the drop, or consider laser or surgical options.
Glaucoma often runs in families. If a parent, brother, sister, or child has glaucoma, your own risk is higher. Please inform your eye doctor about your family history, so we can schedule more frequent exams and closely monitor your optic nerve.
Your follow-up schedule depends on how severe your glaucoma is and how stable your eye pressure stays. Some patients are seen every three to four months, while others may need visits more or less often. Your doctor will tailor a follow-up plan to your specific needs and adjust it as necessary.
Healthy habits support your overall eye and nerve health. A balanced diet, regular exercise, good sleep, and not smoking all contribute to improved circulation and blood pressure. These choices do not replace drops or surgery, but they can support the work your glaucoma treatment is already doing.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.