Collin County Living Well Magazine March/April 2016 | Page 4

Misconceptions about Glaucoma
Pose a Serious Threat to Eye Health
Courtesy Key-Whitman Eye Center

T

here are many common misconceptions about glaucoma.
It is crucial to understand two
common issues glaucoma sufferers continue to deal with:
The significant costs of glaucoma medication and on-going challenges to
adhere to treatment plans. Fortunately,
there are new treatments that assist
with these concerns.
According to Key-Whitman Eye Center’s Dallas and Arlington Eye Doctor
Amy Hong, M.D., “We’re at a point
where socioeconomic changes in
healthcare are having a direct impact on patient outcomes.
Between the rising costs of medication, difficulty remembering to take medication and the discomfort some people experience with drops, compliance with glaucoma treatment
plans can be challenging for some patients.”
Latest technological advances, such as the iStent implant,
provide new treatment alternatives for individuals with mild
to moderate glaucoma. There are even more treatment options on the near future.

Don’t Let Misconceptions about Glaucoma Blind You
If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma or are at risk for
the disease (age 45+, family history of glaucoma, African
heritage, steroid use and more), it is strongly encouraged to
have an eye exam annually and to know the facts. Several
misconceptions about glaucoma and treatments for the disease could put you at risk for permanent vision loss, including:

Misconception No. 1: It’s OK to wait until symptoms
arise to seek treatment for glaucoma.
FALSE. Glaucoma is a silent disease and by the time you
notice symptoms (usually, loss of peripheral vision), irreversible vision loss will have occurred. Like the spinal cord, once
damage to the optic nerve occurs (which is what happens
with glaucoma), the damage is permanent. Only an eye doctor can diagnose glaucoma before symptoms appear.
As Dr. Hong explains, “There is a slow deterioration of the
nerve that connects the eyeball to the brain, and as it deteriorates, there is no pain involved. Once you notice vision
loss, the disease typically will be very advanced.”

Misconception No. 2:
There are glaucoma treatments to cure the disease.

FALSE. “Glaucoma treatments are used to control the disease