Diagnosis of Glaucoma

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Most cases of glaucoma are detected during a routine eye examination. Regular check ups are particularly important if you are over 40. You should also have regular tests if you are over 30 and have a close blood relative with glaucoma. If glaucoma is detected early on, long-term damage to the optic nerve can be prevented.

There are three tests for glaucoma, which can be carried out by your optician. All are painless and should take about 10 minutes each. All three tests should be carried out together to make sure the results are as accurate as possible:

Ophthalmoscopy: This test looks at the appearance of the optic nerve using a special torch brought close to the eye.
Tonometry: A small amount of anaesthetic and a drop of dye are put onto the cornea(the clear, front part of the eye). A blue light from the head of the tonometer is then held against the eye to measure pressure in the eye.
Perimetry: This test looks for missing areas of vision. A sequence of spots of lights is shown, and you will be asked which ones you can see.If you are found to have glaucoma, you will be referred to an ophthalmologist (specialist eye doctor) for treatment.