Glaucoma affects your peripheral vision first, thus a test to analyze peripheral vision has been created. It is a very important test when diagnosing and managing glaucoma.
The field test requires a great deal of your cooperation and patience, and is completed one eye at a time. It is important to be well rested and patient when taking this test. Our technicians will encourage you throughout the procedure to keep your eyes straight on the fixation target and press the button only when a light is seen.
Patients often do not notice any changes in their peripheral vision as the glaucoma can progress slowly. This is why it is important to formally test and map out the peripheral vision using this visual field test at regular visits. Should the visual field be worsening, it may signify worsening optic nerve health, and treatment may need to be adjusted.
Pachymetry
One of the recent advances in glaucoma management has been to obtain pachymetry, or corneal thickness measurements. In a large study, the risk of progression of optic nerve damage from glaucoma was twice as likely if the cornea was thin as opposed to thick; for this reason, we will measure the corneal thickness at least once in the course of your treatment, and perhaps more than that should changes in the cornea occur during treatment.
Gonioscopy
The drainage tube, or trabecular meshwork, inside the eye is the site of greatest resistance to outflow and can become blocked. At least annually, your eye doctor will use a special mirror lens to examine it to make sure it is open and unobstructed.
