Regular eye exams, including specific glaucoma tests, are important for the early detection of glaucoma. If diagnosed early enough, glaucoma can be properly managed to prevent major loss of vision.
This article reviews six tests used to help detect glaucoma. You’ll learn about the individual glaucoma tests, including who needs these tests, what to expect, and how to interpret results.
Most people fall into a normal range, but it’s possible to have glaucoma with lower eye pressure, and not to have glaucoma with higher pressures.
An important measure is whether the pressure fluctuates up and down a lot, and what that particular eye pressure is doing to your eye.
The doctor may also use a digital camera to photograph the optic nerve. Sometimes, stereo photographs are taken to give a 3-dimensional picture to better assess the overall shape of the optic nerve.
The color, shape, and overall health of the optic nerve is important in glaucoma assessment.
Gonioscopy can also be completed using optical coherence tomography.
Most visual field testing today is computerized. Visual field testing usually needs to be repeated several times before the doctor can make a valid assessment.
You will look straight ahead at a small light or another target. The examiner will ask you to let them know when you see a light flash off to the side in your peripheral vision.
It can also indicate if a person’s glaucoma is progressively becoming worse.
The thickness of the cornea seems to influence the eye pressure reading when tonometry is performed.
