Glaucoma Treatment in Dover

Glaucoma Treatment in Dover

Don’t Let Glaucoma Rob You of Your Sight

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What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness.

It's caused by fluid build-up and increased pressure within the eye that damages the optic nerve that progressively worsens your vision. This disease can cause severe, irreversible vision loss if left untreated.

In many cases, appropriate control and treatment can help prevent further damage to the eyes and protect your vision. Dover Eye Clinic offers several treatments to help address glaucoma. Learn more about the treatments we provide and contact us to schedule an appointment.

Glaucoma diagnosis


The 2 Main Types of Glaucoma

grandfather wearing glasses holding his granddaughter

  • Open-angle glaucoma: the most common type. It is a lifelong condition that accounts for at least 90% of all glaucoma cases.
  • Angle-closure glaucoma: a rare form of the disease which requires immediate medical attention. It occurs when the angle is closed in many or most areas between the iris and cornea, which reduces fluid drainage and increases eye pressure.

Preserve Your Vision For Longer

Glaucoma: The Sneaky Thief of Sight

There is a reason glaucoma is called “the sneaky thief of sight”--half the people with glaucoma don’t even know they have it! Meaning, they may not have symptoms in the early stages.

At Dover Eye Clinic, we diagnose and help preserve your vision with cutting-edge glaucoma treatments that can slow the progression of the disease.

If you have a family history of glaucoma or have been diagnosed with glaucoma, contact us today.

optometrist in Dover


What are the Signs of Glaucoma?

glaucoma signs

As mentioned earlier, glaucoma usually shows no symptoms in its early stages. When signs do manifest, it's usually loss of tunnel vision or peripheral vision. Unfortunately, by the time vision loss has occurred, it cannot be reversed.

That said, the less common angle-closure glaucoma does show a sudden onset of symptoms, including:

  • Extreme eye pain
  • Eye redness
  • Blurred vision
  • Nausea

If you experience any of these symptoms, seek prompt diagnosis and treatment by contacting Dover Eye Clinic in Dover or visiting your nearest emergency room.


Who's at Risk for Glaucoma?

  • Age 40 +

    The prevalence of glaucoma increases with age, with most glaucoma patients aged 40 and up. That said, there is a much rarer form of this disease (congenital glaucoma) that affects infants.

  • Family History & Ethnicity

    Your risk for developing glaucoma is higher if you have a family history of the disease. Those of African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American, and Indigenous Canadian descent have a higher risk of developing this disease.

  • Other Conditions

    High myopia, hypertension and diabetes can increase the risk of developing glaucoma.

  • Eye Injury or Trauma

    An eye injury, trauma or eye surgery can increase the likelihood of developing glaucoma.


Glaucoma Diagnosis & Treatment in Dover

Our optometry practice in Dover

Photograph of John  Maria
Hours
  • Monday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • Wednesday 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:30 am - 7:00 pm
  • Friday 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
  • Dec. 25 Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Cigna
  • Spectera
  • Superior Vision
  • Davis Vision
  • Anthem
  • EyeMed
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

Common Glaucoma Treatments

There is currently no cure for glaucoma. However, several treatments are available to prevent the progression of this sight-robbing condition. With the right care, you have a higher chance of managing your glaucoma and preserving your vision.

Common treatments include:

Eye Drops

Your optometrist will prescribe eye drops to help regulate pressure inside the eye by decreasing fluid production and/or improving drainage.

Laser Surgery

If eye drops aren’t doing enough to reduce intraocular pressure or intraocular temperature in open-angle glaucoma, laser surgery may be an option. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) opens up the drainage system in the eye to reduce pressure.

SLT is successful in 80% of cases and can reduce eye pressure by 20%.

Other Surgeries

If a laser procedure or eye drops do not lower eye pressure to the desired level, your eye doctor may recommend one of the following surgeries:

  • Incision Surgery
  • Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)
  • Glaucoma Drainage Implants
Patient Reviews
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140 Reviews
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- Nov. 30, 2023
Friendly and knowledgeable staff, convenient location, and I love the new online scheduling option!
- Sep. 25, 2023
Love Dr. Maria's enthusiasm when I ace all my tests.
- Aug. 22, 2023
Best eye doctor ever!
- Jun. 23, 2023
The entire staff is friendly and professional
- May. 24, 2023
It's the only place I go. The staff is great and the Doc. is the best.
- May. 06, 2023
Great people, great services. Love Dr Maria
- Mar. 03, 2023
Dr. John is the best!
- Feb. 06, 2023
Dr. Maria is the best! Nice selection of frames.
- Nov. 17, 2022
For as I'm concerned this is the best clinic in the area.
- Sep. 10, 2022
Great service!
- Sep. 10, 2022
Wonderful atmosphere
- Sep. 05, 2022
Everyone there is very nice and attentive to my needs. I’m very pleased with the service provided....
- Aug. 19, 2022
We love Dr. Maria and his staff.
- Aug. 13, 2022
Very informative, answer all my questions, and my son loved learning about his eyes
- Aug. 06, 2022
The tech was awesome and the check out girl was great.
- Jul. 17, 2022
Through exam extremely friendly and professional
- Jul. 08, 2022
𝑻𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 π’•π’‚π’π’Œπ’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒃𝒂𝒅 π’Šπ’ π’“π’†π’—π’ŠοΏ½... οΏ½π’˜π’” 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 π’Šπ’” 𝒏𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 π’Šπ’• 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 π’•π’‰π’Šπ’” π’Šπ’” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 π’†π’šπ’† 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒔 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 π’…π’π’˜π’.
- Jun. 08, 2022
I dont know what to say but im thankful for these people in my life
- May. 01, 2022
If you are needing a great eye doctor go to Dover Eye Clinic and visit Dr. Maria
- Apr. 02, 2022
Excellent service by DR. John and his staff. Service is second to none!!!!!

View All 140 Reviews

Glaucoma Testing Treatment FAQs

How does an eye doctor diagnose glaucoma?

Since glaucoma has no side effects early on, it is essential for people with a family history of risk factors for glaucoma to get tested. The following tests diagnose glaucoma:

  • Tonometry: measures the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure or IOP)
  • Ophthalmoscopy (dilated eye exam): examines the shape and color of the optic nerve
  • Perimetry: measures your field of vision
  • Gonioscopy: checks the angle where the iris meets the cornea
  • Pachymetry: determines the thickness of the cornea to better evaluate eye pressure.
What foods should you avoid if you have glaucoma?

The following are the foods every glaucoma patient should consider avoiding immediately. It should help keep your optic nerve healthy and minimize eye pressure.

  • Caffeine - certain studies show that caffeine contributes to increased intraocular pressure.
  • Saturated fats - a diet high in saturated fats can lead to weight gain, which not only increases intraocular pressure but also cholesterol levels.
  • Trans fats - try to limit your consumption of trans fats because they can also raise cholesterol levels
  • Salt - make sure to consume salt sparingly, as increased blood pressure can indirectly lead to intraocular pressure.
What percentage of glaucoma patients go blind?

About 60% of patients diagnosed with glaucoma will eventually lose some vision.

However, the rate of legal blindness among glaucoma patients is 5%. Getting effective treatment early on will greatly increase your ability to preserve and maximize your vision.


glaucoma surgery

Don’t lose sight of your future.

With early detection and treatment, glaucoma can be controlled.

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