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Senior Eye Care Center
... Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a
leading cause of blindness in the United
States, especially for the older population
but loss of sight from glaucoma is often
preventable. |
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What is Glaucoma? |
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Glaucoma is a disease
of the optic nerve. The optic nerve
carries the images we see to the brain.
Glaucoma can damage nerve fibers, causing
blind spots to develop. Early detection
and treatment are key to preventing optic
nerve damage and blindness from glaucoma. |
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Symptoms
and Signs of Glaucoma |
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One of the most
serious concerns about glaucoma is that it
usually has no symptoms or signs in its
early stages. As many as half of glaucoma
sufferers in the U.S. have the disease and
don’t know it, according to the National
Eye Institute. Because of the lack of
symptoms, regular eye examinations and
glaucoma-screening programs are important
to the early detection and successful
treatment of glaucoma.
In the later
stages of the disease, some of the
following symptoms may be present:
-
loss of
peripheral (side) vision
-
headache
-
blurred
vision
-
difficulty or
inability to adjust vision in darkened
rooms
-
difficulty
focusing on close work
-
rainbow-colored rings or halos around
lights
-
frequent need
to change eyeglass prescriptions
By the time any
of these symptoms occur, however, the eye
has already been severely and irreversibly
damaged, and the glaucoma may be harder to
control.
That is why
glaucoma is sometimes called “the thief in
the night”, because it robs your vision
without any signs or symptoms.
For that
reason, the Florida Eye Center recommends
that periodic eye exams including glaucoma
testing are very important for everyone,
even people who seem to have perfect
vision. |
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Causes
of Glaucoma
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Glaucoma is a medical
problem caused by build-up of fluid within
the eye that causes the internal eye
pressure to increase. In a healthy
eye, this normal fluid brings in oxygen
and nourishment and keeps the eye inflated
by continually filling and draining
internally. In patients with
glaucoma, this internal fluid does not
drain properly and causes elevated
pressure that will blind the eye unless
identified and controlled in time.
Because every loss of vision is painless,
permanent and irreversible, that makes
early detection and treatment a critical
priority. The only proven,
acceptable treatment for glaucoma is to
lower the internal eye pressure to prevent
blindness. |
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Treatment for Glaucoma |
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Glaucoma is usually
controlled with the daily use of eye
drops. Some patients can not
tolerate these glaucoma medications, or
sometimes the medications are not enough
to control the glaucoma pressure and the
damage continues and the vision can
 be
lost without glaucoma control. If
this happens, it becomes necessary to take
the next step to control your glaucoma and
save your eyes by adding more drugs or
having laser.
Watch the Video - Opens in a new window.
Close to return here.
Selective Laser
Trabeculoplasy (SLT) - The Florida Eye
Center continues our commitment in
offering the safest and best patient care
to prevent blindness and restore sight.
We are providing our patients with the
latest alternatives in glaucoma treatment.
We are pleased to announce the
availability of Selective Laser
Trabeculoplasty. Selective Laser
Trabeculoplasty (SLT) is exciting glaucoma
therapy that revolutionizes you treatment
by helping to control glaucoma without eye
drops. SLT laser is one of the most
significant and safest advanced in the
treatment of glaucoma in history.
This is a laser treatment using
microscopic laser light to "open" the
clogged drains of the eye and lower the
glaucoma pressure back to a safe level to
prevent blindness.
The SLT is performed
right here in our office with the newest
and safest Selecta Laser. The SLT
treatment only takes a few minutes in the
office and all you need is a regular
appointment / reservation.
SLT offers you the
following benefits:
SLT is simple, safe,
and effective glaucoma treatment for
almost 100% of our glaucoma patients.
SLT only takes minutes
to perform in the office for your
convenience.
SLT is NOT painful and
there are no restrictions or limitations
after the office treatment.
SLT is very successful
and you may only need one treatment to
replace the daily use of expensive drops.
SLT does NOT involve
any needles, knives, sutures or hospital
surgery. Risks and complications are
almost zero.
SLT is covered by
almost every insurance company, including
Medicare.
SLT is ideal for
patients who want to get off their
glaucoma medicines, cannot take them,
cannot afford them, or tolerate their
side-effects.
SLT is a cold laser
that does not cause scarring or damage
like all previous laser treatments in the
past. This lets it be repeated
safely, if needed.
SLT has been safely
done in Europe for over 10 years and can
keep glaucoma controlled 365 days a year
for up to 5 years.
SLT is also a safe
alternative for those not controlled with
previous laser surgery or eye drops or
pills.
SLT has no systemic
side-effects (all eye drops have
side-effects).
SLT tries to eliminate
the high costs and side-effects of
prescription medicines, eye drops and
dangerous invasive surgery treatments used
in the past.
SLT is the ideal
treatment for people over 40,
African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and
those with diabetes, high blood pressure
or poor circulation.
SLT at the Florida Eye
Center is FDA approved and uses patented
technology.
SLT promotes the body's
own natural healing response and reduces
any chance for bleeding, infection, or
blindness.
Thousands of our
glaucoma patients have already received
this SLT therapy. It is proving to
be simple, safe, and effective at
controlling glaucoma pressure and
preventing blindness. The use of the
SLT laser treatment has been found to
lower the eye's pressure in almost 100% of
our patients and improve the control of
glaucoma.
Your SLT laser
treatment is usually painless. It is
done in our office with you seated in the
exam chair. It is similar to an eye
exam with anesthetic eye drops used to
numb your eye. There are no needles,
knives, scissor, etc. It takes only
a few minutes and you will be allowed to
go home immediately after SLT laser and
there are no restrictions or limitation on
your activities, diets, etc. |
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Ask The Doctor |
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Dr. Sibley
has
over 20 years of experience in the
ever evolving field of ophthalmology.
He is a board-certified
ophthalmologist, F.A.C.S., and he is
highly trained to perform the advanced
operations offered by the Florida Eye
Center.
He is
medical advisor to the Society to
Prevent Blindness and to the American
Diabetes Association, and is team
ophthalmologist for the Devil Rays.
eMail:
AskTheDoctor@FloridaEyeCenter.com
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Ask The Doctor: Questions and
Answers |
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Question:
Is there any way to
prevent Glaucoma?
Answer
Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes loss of
vision when the eye's internal pressure builds up to
an usafe level. Glaucoma usually has no symptoms--no
pain, no pus, no redness, etc. It must be diagnosed
by an eye exam and treated to prevent loss of vision
and even blindness.
Glaucoma is more common in everyone over 40,
Hispanics, and African -Americans , and those with
brown colored eyes.
Glaucoma damage can be
prevented by proper control of the
pressure. This control takes either treatment with
medicines/drugs or laser (SLT) or surgery.
The SLT glaucoma laser may be the safest and most
successful treatment to control glaucoma and prevent
blindness that has ever been invented !!
Please read the new information on the advanced SLT
laser on our web site and I invite you to have an
exam at any of our 4 locations.
Question:
I am asking if you would please send me any details
on SLT Therapy that you could offer me. Perhaps the
cost and availability.
I found your details through Laserex as having the
suitable machine for this type of treatment.
About two years ago, I had high eye pressure and was
diagnosed as having glaucoma. Fortunately, up
until now, I haven't noticed any reduced field of
vision, and I wouldn't know that I actually had a
problem but for the fact that I am told so.
I am using Xalacom drops each day to keep it under
control.
If you think that you could help me, I would be
pleased to ask my consultant ophthalmologist if I
might visit you for treatment as a private patient.
Answer:
Thank
you for the 'ask the doctor ' question. We are SLT
laser specialists and are very excited about the
results of SLT, that have been almost miraculous,
so far.
We are
available for 2nd opinions and SLT laser almost
everyday. It really is simple, safe , and
successful. Almost 100% of the patients are
dramatically improved, even from the UK ! Florida
is so beautiful all year........
I just
did my mother-in-law in January and her pressures
went from 25-27 on 2 bottles of drops, to 15, off
all drops !!!
Question:
My present eye doctor is recommending Laser (SLT)
treatment for my glaucoma before cataract surgery
He would personally do the "SLT" procedure with
rented equipment. His nurse says he does
approximately 10 a Month
How common is it to do 10 a month with rented
equipment? I am 86 yrs old and have been on Cosopt and
Xalatan for almost a year.
Answer: At the Florida Eye Center the SLT
laser (Treatment
for Glaucoma
(SLT) )for
the treatment of glaucoma is proving to be the
simplest, safest, and most successful glaucoma
treatment in history !!!!
We have found that SLT glaucoma laser works better
before cataract surgery, compared to SLT
laser after cataract surgery. Your doctor
would want to have the best glaucoma control
before your
cataract surgery.
Do not be worried about the doctor bringing in the
SLT machine to do your treatment. It is the same
$60,000 laser that he will use. Many doctors do
this to provide their patients the SLT laser
option ASAP. This "have it when needed"
arrangement allows your doctor to provide you with
the newest and safest treatments now rather than
next year!!!
Your Cosopt and Xalatan drops are drugs and they
both have side-effects. The SLT may work well
enough to replace both of them and control your
pressures without drops/drugs. This will help
prevent blindness ...At the Florida Eye Center,
almost 100% of our SLT patients get dramatic
results and about 75% are able to stop all drops
!!!!!!!
SLT truly is a modern miracle treatment for
glaucoma patients !!!!!!! Get treated.... Keep
us posted.
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Make YOUR eyes smile again ... |
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The information
contained herein is intended to be educational
and is not intended in any way as a substitute
for medical advice and care from qualified
vision care providers. Consult a vision care
professional in matters relating to visual
health and particularly with respect to any
symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical
attention. |
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