Dallas County Living Well Magazine March/April 2016 | Page 20

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. There is no cure. So if your eye doctor places you on
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DALLAS COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2016

glaucoma therapy, you have to maintain and monitor that treatment protocol to prevent further vision loss. It’s
not like you can take medication for a
year and expect to be cured (see No.
1 above),” says Dr. Hong.

Misconception No. 3: Marijuana
is a safe and effective treatment
option for glaucoma.

FALSE. According to Dr. Hong, “Both
the American Glaucoma Society and
the American Academy of Ophthalmology do NOT recommend the use of marijuana as a treatment for glaucoma.”

Misconception No. 4: Topical drops are the only
option available to treat glaucoma.

FALSE. There are currently three treatment options for
glaucoma. Along with topical drops, some patients may
be candidates for surgical procedures to lower intraocular
pressure (IOP) and deter future vision loss.
Selective laser trabeculectomy (SLT) has been offered in
the U.S. for several years. Laser energy is applied to the
drainage tissue in the eye help reduce IOP. (You can learn
more about SLT FAQs on the Glaucoma Research Foundation website.)
The second surgical option is less invasive and involves
placing the world’s tiniest medical implant – the iStent – in
the eye to reduce IOP for mild to moderate glaucoma.
As Dr. Hong explains, “The iStent procedure is minimally
invasive and usually performed during cataract surgery. It
only takes a few minutes to implant the stent, and there is
minimal risk and no pain associated with the procedure.
Both surgical procedures can help many patients reduce
their dependency on drops.”

Misconception No. 5: All glaucoma treatment
options are cost-prohibitive, so I’ll get by using
drops less frequently.

FALSE and FALSE. There is no denying that the cost of
prescription medication (including some topical drops for
glaucoma) can be a burden for many people, especially
seniors. Regardless, it’s essential that you speak with your
eye doctor about treatment options that may be less expensive – because there are other options.
For example, surgical procedures – including iStent and SLT
– are often covered by insurance plans like Medicare and