Examination
Possible Tests Administered by Your MD
To determine if you have glaucoma, your eye doctor will perform an eye evaluation. Your visual acuity will be measured. Additionally, your refraction, or best vision with glasses, may also be checked. Your eye pressure will also be measured carefully, and the thickness of your corneas may also be checked, as thinner corneas are a risk factor for glaucoma. Your pupils will also be tested, which help the doctor determine if your optic nerves are working properly. Your peripheral vision will likely be checked by counting fingers with the edge of your vision. You may also have a computer check your peripheral vision during an automated visual field examination. Your doctor will perform a slit lamp examination to examine the eye and the lens. The trabecular drainage system of your eye may be examined with a special contact lens, called a gonioscopy lens. Your eyes may be dilated to help the doctor view the lens and the back part of the eye and examine the optic nerve carefully. A retinal exam may also be performed during the dilated examination. Photographs of your optic nerves or computer scans of the optic nerve shape may also be taken.
What Your MD Will See if You Have Glaucoma
As glaucoma progresses to moderate or advanced disease, optic nerve fibers are destroyed, causing the optic nerve to look increasingly “cupped,” as if a larger and larger ice cream scooper is used to remove a pit from its center. Your doctor may also be able to see the loss of small sections of retinal nerves around the optic nerve, or small areas of bleeding on the optic nerve. Additionally, if angle closure is present, your doctor may be able to see iris or scar tissue physically blocking the trabecular drain.
