Patient advocate: Glaucoma puts the pressure on your eyes
Some recent studies point to an interesting trend about the eye disorder glaucoma.
Because people are living longer, there appears to be a rising risk of glaucoma. So it pays to know about what glaucoma is, how it’s detected, how it’s treated — and how you might avoid it.
An analysis in 2025 estimated that 4.2 million Americans have glaucoma, and about a third of them were experiencing vision loss. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in people over 60, and more younger people are being affected, research indicates.
When you go to the optometrist or ophthalmologist, a complete exam means your eyes will be numbed and the pressure inside them checked. “The eye constantly produces a clear fluid called aqueous humor,” said Dr. Michael Savitt, an ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist at North Shore Glaucoma Center & Eye Physicians in Libertyville.
“As new fluid flows into your eye, the same amount should drain out through a tiny drainage area, which keeps the pressure within the eye stable,” he says.
But sometimes there is fluid buildup because the drainage system isn’t operating correctly. “The high pressure can damage the sensitive fibers of the optic nerve,” Savitt said.
When that happens, blind spots can begin to develop, and they’re irreversible.
The most common form of glaucoma develops gradually, often without any painful symptoms, until vision loss is quite advanced.
Major risk factors are age, a family history of glaucoma and medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease. “Also, being very nearsighted or having thin corneas can be a contributing factor,” Savitt said.
Glaucoma is typically treated with eye drops, laser therapy or surgery to reduce pressure within the eye and prevent further vision loss. Common treatments include prostaglandin analogs, beta-blockers and selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), which can lower eye pressure by 20% to 30% and is effective in about 80% of patients.
Glaucoma treatments are generally effective in lowering intraocular pressure, which helps to slow the progression of the disease and prevent further vision loss. While these treatments do not cure glaucoma or reverse existing damage, early diagnosis and consistent management can significantly preserve vision.
A lot of things can go wrong with our eyes without our even noticing. Vision loss from macular degeneration, cataracts or glaucoma happens little by little until one day you’re blind, or nearly so. It’s critical to get regular eye exams to make sure you’re on top of things.
• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg, R.N., a registered nurse and board-certified patient advocate, is the founder of NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com, which trains medical professionals to become successful private patient advocates. She is the author of “How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones” and “Advocating Well: Strategies for Finding Strength and Understanding in Health Care,” available at Amazon.com. Contact her at Teri@NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com to set up a free phone consultation.