Glaucoma Screening After 60: Get Checked Before It’s Too Late

A glaucoma screening can find damage to your eye before you notice any change in your sight. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in people over 60.

People call it the “silent thief of sight” because it usually causes no symptoms until the damage is serious. A regular check catches it while your vision can still be protected.

What Is Glaucoma, and Why Get a Glaucoma Screening?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. This nerve carries signals from your eye to your brain.

High pressure inside the eye, called intraocular pressure, is often behind the damage. Once the nerve is harmed, you can lose vision.

Glaucoma comes in two main types:

1. Primary open-angle glaucoma: This is the most common type. It develops slowly, and you may not notice any signs until vision is lost.
2. Angle-closure glaucoma: This is less common, but it can strike fast and is a medical emergency. Warning signs include severe eye pain, sudden blurry vision, and nausea.

Who Is at Risk?

Anyone can get glaucoma, and the risk climbs with age. After 60, age is your biggest risk factor. Other common risk factors include:

• Family history: If a close relative has glaucoma, your chances of getting it rise.

• Race or ethnicity: African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians are at higher risk.

• Other health conditions: Diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure can raise the risk.

• High eye pressure: This is often the root cause, and only a test can find it.

Why Glaucoma Is Dangerous for Older Adults

Early glaucoma gives no warning. You could lose a large share of your side vision before you notice, and that vision does not come back.

Golf, reading and evenings out in The Villages all get harder as it advances. A regular glaucoma screening is how you stay ahead of it.

Tonometry measures your eye pressure and helps us catch problems early. From there, we can manage the disease and help prevent more damage.

What Happens During a Glaucoma Screening?

Your optometrist uses a few quick, painless tests to check your eyes:

• Tonometry: This measures the pressure inside your eye. It is simple and quick.

• Visual field test: A tool like perimetry looks for any area where you have lost vision.

• Ophthalmoscopy: Your optometrist uses light and a magnifier to look at the optic nerve for early signs of damage.

These tests can pick up small changes in pressure and vision long before you feel anything.

Protecting Your Vision Protects Your Lifestyle

You may tee off on the courses here, go to events or play pickleball with friends. Each of those needs good vision, and so does a stroll through Spanish Springs Town Square. A regular eye exam helps you keep that independence.

How Often Should You Get a Glaucoma Screening?

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that adults over 60 have a complete eye exam every year or two. If you have diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, your doctor may ask you to come in more often. See senior eye exam frequency in our guide.

Booking with Hindsight Eye Care takes a minute. Book your glaucoma screening today.

Other Eye Conditions to Watch

Keep an eye out for these other common conditions as you age:

• Cataracts develop slowly and can make your vision look foggy or cloudy. See our page on cataracts for adults.

• Dry eye syndrome is common in older adults and causes irritation and blurry vision. Read about our dry eye treatment.

• Computer eye strain can follow too much screen time, even in retirement.

• Retinal disorders include retinal detachment and macular degeneration, which may cause serious vision problems.

Your Optometrist and Your Eye Health

At Hindsight Eye Care, your optometrist checks your eye pressure gently, and the test takes only a few minutes.

Seeing the same optometrist each year helps too. Your doctor gets to know your eyes, notices small changes and gives advice that fits you.

Book Your Glaucoma Screening Today

Call us or book your eye exam online to set your visit.

While you are here, you can also browse our eyeglasses.