EYE DISEASE DIAGNOSIS & MANAGEMENT

Glaucoma is often referred to as the “silent thief of sight” due to the early stages of the condition being generally asymptomatic. Glaucoma frequently progresses to a stage where there is already significant and irreversible vision loss, making it one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada.

Glaucoma is technically an umbrella term for a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the eye’s optic nerve. 4 types of glaucoma exist:

• Primary open-angle glaucoma
• Angle-closure glaucoma
• Secondary glaucoma
• Normal-tension glaucoma

Typically, if glaucoma is detected at an early stage, treatment can be implemented to control it and prevent further vision loss.

We perform various forms of testing to thoroughly examine the eye for signs of eye disease. Tonometry is a test used to measure the eye’s intraocular pressure, a common symptom of glaucoma.

Non-contact tonometry uses a small puff of air to measure the eye’s pressure. This type of tonometry is often referred to as “puff tonometry.”

The air puff is used to measure the force required to flatten a portion of the cornea, detecting the eye’s overall pressure. This type of tonometry is noninvasive.

Goldmann applanation tonometry is a method used to measure the eye’s intraocular pressure. The device uses a flat-tipped cone to flatten a portion of the cornea, measure the force needed to do so.

This type of tonometry does come into contact with your eye, so we may use numbing eye drops before the test to avoid discomfort.

The Icare Tonometer product line is a new style of tonometers that use rebound technology to measure intraocular pressure. The device has a tiny probe that makes momentary contact with the cornea.

The device evaluates deceleration, contact time, and other motion parameters to create an accurate measurement of IOP.

We’d love to assess your eyes and help implement a treatment plan to preserve your vision and eye health. Please give us a call if you have any questions.