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Glaucoma- Early Detection
New to Lewes

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness: 70 million people worldwide are affected.

Glaucoma – What is it?

Glaucoma is a progressive disease of the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve, which is the pathway that carries the image we see to the brain.

Development over time can cause visual impairment and sometimes complete blindness. 

Who is Affected?

Glaucoma can affect anyone. Certain factors increase the risk like diabetes and family history.

Glaucoma – Early Detection. Why is this Important?

Early detection is intended to help in the prevention of vision loss as treatment can begin before potentially sight threatening damage is caused to the optic nerve.

What can Spectrum Eyecare do to Help?

We have invested in an instrument called the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph or HRT3

The HRT3 instrument reveals the early signs of the disease glaucoma, years before any noticeable symptoms appear and years before the currently tried and tested examinations we have employed up to date.

It is a Powerful Predictor of Change?

We have always performed various tests at the normal eye examination to detect signs or symptoms of Glaucoma.

To date this was the best available to us and every other optical practice.

For Glaucoma to be detected at a routine eye examination some damage will already have occurred.

We know that if Glaucoma is caught as early as possible then there is a much greater chance of limiting this damage to prevent visual impairment or in extremes loss of vision.

HRT3 is an excellent way of offering better glaucoma screening for our patients.

How Does the HRT3 Instrument Work?

The HRT takes a 3D image of the Optic Nerve and measures 3 vital structures. Cup, rim and retinal nerve layer.

This data is validated to the findings of eminent Glaucoma surgeons around the world. A probability score is obtained and determines whether Glaucoma is suspected by comparing your scan to 10 years of data to those who do have Glaucoma and those who don’t.

The instrument is clever enough to predict for some that they are 93% unlikely to get Glaucoma. A great peace of mind.

If there are abnormal findings then 55% of these will develop glaucoma, but importantly the HRT3 is a robust predictor of glaucoma and has picked them up before any detectable loss of visual functions.

The HRT is designed to reveal the early signs of the chronic form of the disease glaucoma.

If someone has a sudden onset of acute glaucoma the HRT3 cannot predict this form of the disease. Having said that, 95% of glaucoma cases diagnosed, are the chronic form which has developed over time and is not sudden.

HRT3 Examination is Painless and no Drops are Needed

The HRT3 examination takes only a few seconds. It is completely painless it does not touch the eye and no drops are required.

In Summary

There is no guaranteed protection against Glaucoma. However, early detection may help prevent you suffering from the severe consequences of the disease.
People are completely free of symptoms in the early stages of the disease and they feel deceptively healthy. This is why the gradual progression of Glaucoma is not noticed until a partial loss of vision has already occurred.