Glaucoma: Risk Factors, Diagnosis,
Treatment
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Glaucoma
Receiving a diagnosis that you are at risk for or have already developed glaucoma can be alarming, but it doesn’t have to be. At Desert Vision Center, we are experts at helping our patients manage their glaucoma and preserve vision. Contact us today for an eye exam.
760.340.4700Are You at Risk?
What Is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a chronic, progressive eye disease that damages the optic nerve, often referred to as the “cable” that connects the eye to the brain. It is most common in older adults and affects nearly 3 million Americans. When pressure inside the eye becomes too high, or if the optic nerve is unusually sensitive, it can slowly cause vision loss, often without symptoms at first.
Because lost vision cannot be restored, early detection and consistent management are critical to preserving sight and maintaining quality of life.
Have You Been Checked for Glaucoma?
Glaucoma often has no early symptoms. Schedule a quick eye exam today to protect your vision before damage begins.
Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment
Understanding glaucoma starts with knowing who’s at risk, how it’s detected, and the treatments available. Early diagnosis and proper management are key to protecting your vision and preventing permanent damage. Here’s what you need to know about risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment options.
Who is Most Likely To Develop Glaucoma?
People with a family history of glaucoma may be more likely to develop glaucoma than others. If you have a family history of glaucoma, it is important to let your eye doctor know.
Other Risk Factors:
- Elevated eye pressure
- Being nearsighted or farsighted
- Having health problems like diabetes, heart disease, and poor circulation
- Previous eye injury or trauma
If you are at higher risk of developing glaucoma, it is important to see your eye doctor more regularly. With routine eye examinations, your eye doctor can detect any early signs of glaucoma.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
Glaucoma is sometimes called the silent thief of sight. In the earlier stages of the disease, there are often no visual symptoms. Elevated eye pressure does not always cause you to feel pain. As the disease progresses, there is a gradual, painless loss of vision.
Diagnosing Glaucoma
Early detection is critical in the diagnosis of glaucoma because many patients do not have any visual symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Left untreated, glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve with irreversible vision loss.
There are several tests and clinical metrics used in the diagnosis of glaucoma. The most common is tonometry or the measure of the pressure inside your eye. The higher the pressure, the higher the risk of glaucoma damage may be.
Visual field testing involves computer mapping of your peripheral vision. Any functional damage from glaucoma can be detected by computerized or automated visual field tests. Optical coherence testing involves measuring structural damage to the optic nerve. When combined with visual field testing, both functional and structural changes are monitored through time to allow for the detection of glaucoma disease progression.
Treatment Options for Glaucoma
If you have glaucoma, there are several treatment options available to slow and prevent the progression of the disease. Because there are different forms of glaucoma and no two patients are identical, treatment options will vary person to person.
Prescription eye drops
Although there is no cure for glaucoma, prescription eye drops can lower the pressure in the eye to help prevent progression of glaucoma damage. Eye drops are not right for every patient. Some eye drops have side effects like blurred vision, redness, itching, or dry eyes.
Medicated Implant
Using eye drops for some patients can be problematic due to medication intolerance, difficulties with application of the eye drops (e.g. due to arthritis), high monthly co-payments, or trouble remembering to use the medication daily.
Durysta (bimatoprost) is a medicated dissolvable eye implant that slowly releases the therapeutic dose of glaucoma medication into the eye over the course of months. The procedure is quick and painlessly performed in the office.
Glaucoma Surgery
Laser Surgery
Laser treatment options include laser trabeculoplasty, laser iridotomy, and cyclophotocoagulation laser.
Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)
MIGS procedures are designed to lower eye pressure safely and with minimal disruption, helping slow or stop glaucoma progression.
Tube-Shunt Implant
For more advanced cases of glaucoma or when strict control of eye pressure is necessary, a tube-shunt implant may be used.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease that damages the optic nerve, often due to elevated eye pressure. Left untreated, it can lead to gradual, irreversible vision loss, making early detection and management essential to preserving long-term sight.
Most types of glaucoma have no noticeable symptoms early on, which is why regular eye exams are so important. Vision loss usually begins in the periphery, progressing slowly until it impacts central vision—often when the disease is already advanced.
Adults over 40, those with a family history of glaucoma, people with diabetes, and African American, Hispanic, or Asian individuals are at increased risk. Routine eye exams are especially critical for these groups to catch glaucoma early.
Glaucoma is detected through a comprehensive eye exam, including measurement of eye pressure, detailed inspection of the optic nerve, visual field testing, and imaging of eye structures. These tests allow your doctor to diagnose glaucoma before vision loss occurs.
Treatment focuses on lowering eye pressure to prevent further optic nerve damage. This may involve prescription eye drops, oral medications, in-office laser procedures, or minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries, all customized to your needs and disease severity.
There is currently no cure for glaucoma, and lost vision cannot be restored. However, with early diagnosis, proper treatment, and ongoing monitoring, most patients can successfully prevent further vision loss and maintain good quality of life.
Yes. In many cases, glaucoma can be treated at the same time as cataract surgery using microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) techniques. These procedures help lower eye pressure by improving fluid drainage while removing the cataract. Combining both treatments reduces the need for additional surgery and supports long-term vision protection.
Attention Patients
Dear Valued Patients of Desert Vision Center,
Dr. Tokuhara is a highly skilled cataract surgeon, specializing in advanced anterior segment surgeries, including complex glaucoma and cataract procedures. He focuses on patients who need surgical intervention or are at risk of severe vision loss.
While Dr. Tokuhara offers comprehensive eye care for his own surgical patients, he does not provide general eye care or post-operative care for patients of other surgeons. When you choose Dr. Tokuhara, he becomes your trusted eye doctor for life. A Note About Ethical Care
In our community, some providers engage in illegal financial kickbacks accepting payments for cataract surgery referrals. Desert Vision Center firmly rejects this unethical practice. We follow the highest ethical standards, complying with the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law, ensuring that your care in never influenced by financial incentives.
We believe referrals should always be based on what’s best for the patient—not financial gain. If you’re being evaluated for cataract surgery, we encourage you to ask questions and be mindful of these referral arrangements.
Choose the surgeon who prioritizes your vision and your well-being—not one chosen for someone else’s profit.
Sincerely,
Desert Vision Center