Many people believe Glaucoma is a problem of the elderly but the truth is that Glaucoma can affect anyone. Glaucoma can have devastating effects to the vision of the patient if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.

The eye is composed of two compartments, with the larger of the two filled with a gel-like substance known as the vitreous humor. This helps the eye maintain its shape and size (roughly that of a ping pong ball) and transmits light to the back wall of the eye. The smaller “front” compartment is likewise filled with a liquid called the aqueous humor. This liquid carries nutrients to the eye and ferries waste away from it.

The aqueous humor flows from behind the iris and through the pupil of the eye filling the front chamber and then back out again through a drainage hole covered in a mesh like material and into a canal. About 90 to 95 percent of people who have glaucoma are experiencing a problem with this drainage system, but as there is no visual blockage or problem, no one knows what causes glaucoma. It could be that the fine mesh covering the drainage area loses the ability to allow proper drainage of this fluid.

Glaucoma generally develops slowly, over time. However, a rare, more acute form of the problem can develop suddenly if the iris closes the drainage canal. This is painful and will require treatment immediately.

A doctor can examine your eye and determine the treatment most suitable to your condition using a specialized instrument called a tonometer, which measures pressure inside the eyeball. Some tonometers will blow a puff of air to determine eye pressure, but others will have to touch the eye to make the same diagnosis.

In order to prevent vision loss from glaucoma, an early diagnosis and treatment is a must. Vision can be preserved if it is caught and treated before too many nerves have been destroyed by the increased pressure in the eye. Usually, treatment will be in the form of eye drops that can reduce the pressure in the eye, though it may be necessary to have surgery to open or repair the drainage canal in the eye.

Although the causes of glaucoma are not completely understood, if it is caught and treated early enough, vision can be protected in many cases.

It is one question you should always be expected to answer when you visit an eye care professional for the first time, “Do you have any history of head trauma?”

Ever wonder why? Well, the fragile condition of the eyes makes trauma related with any amount of shock to the head. The incident in question could be as simple as a slip and fall or being involved in a serious car collision.

In terms of the visual effect of a head injury, there are numerous parts of the eye that could be effected by what you thought was a simple bump on the head.

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Quality eye care is crucial to maintaining good eyesight. That is why you should always do good research when choosing the right optometrist. Out of the many eye doctors in Jacksonville, FL, Valuvision offers quality eye examinations, treatment for all different eye conditions, and prescriptions for glasses or contacts. Read more »

The Optometrist is the primary eye care provider for eye and vision care.  His or her role includes not only the fitting of corrective eyeglass and contact lenses, but also the treatment of visual disorders, eye disease and infection, and trauma.  Optometrists, or eye doctors, can follow patients that have been diagnosed with eye diseases such as Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration, and are able to co-manage pre- and post-operative cataract and refractive (such as LASIK) surgery patients with eye surgeons. Read more »

Lately, you hear a lot about new “wonder” foods and supplements that are beneficial to our health.  This month I’d like to discuss a new supplement we are offering in our offices that directly correlates with two major eye diseases, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Most of us take a multivitamin recommended to us by our primary care physician. Unfortunately, not all vitamins are created equal.  Not all vitamins get absorbed by our bodies and are thus released.  We get a lot of vitamins from the foods that we eat, which is why it is so crucial to Read more »

Eye care for children should begin between the age three and five. If there are not issues at that point, their next eye exam should be before they start school. This is the beginning of good eye care for children. If their vision is good, routine eye care can begin.

There are some disorders such as autism, ADD or ADHD which can possibly be misdiagnosed. Although it is not always the case, conversion deficiency can exhibit some of the same symptoms as ADD. It is possible for your child to have perfect vision, exhibit the signs of ADD and not actually have the disorder.

What can it be? Read more »

Valuvision and out team of highly trained and board certified optometrists have been treating glaucoma patients in Jacksonville for almost 40 years. We use state of the art equipment and give each patient a thorough and comprehensive eye exam to help diagnose glaucoma.

Some facts about Glaucoma:
Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve, the part of the eye which transports visual impulses to the brain to be interpreted to create the phenomenon of “sight.” If untreated, Glaucoma leads to progressive Read more »