Can You Get Glaucoma in Your 30s?
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Glaucoma is a common eye condition that usually occurs when there is fluid buildup in the front of the eye. This extra fluid increases the pressure in the eye, causing damage to the optic nerve. Unfortunately, most forms of glaucoma don’t have any warning signs, which means all of our patients in Baton Rouge, LA are susceptible to vision loss.
Our trained eye professionals at Baton Rouge Eye Physicians educate our patients about eye health during comprehensive eye exams. We can detect early-stage glaucoma (glaucoma in those 40 or under) during standard eye tests. While glaucoma in the elderly is common, many of our patients develop it at a young age too, even in their 30s.
What causes glaucoma?
Your eye continuously makes aqueous humor. As this new aqueous humor flows into your eye, the same amount must drain out. This drainage process is imperative to intraocular pressure, which maintains the proper pressure in the eye. When the drainage angle fails to work correctly, fluid can build up in your eye, which can increase pressure and damage your optic nerve. This leads to glaucoma.
What are the signs of glaucoma?
At Baton Rouge Eye Physicians, we aim for an early glaucoma diagnosis. Some of the earliest symptoms of glaucoma include:
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Loss of peripheral vision
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Blurry vision
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Eye pain
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Seeing halos around lights
When you experience changes in your vision, it’s important to schedule an appointment at our Baton Rouge, LA office as soon as possible. Generally, early-onset glaucoma is caused by genetics, which has mutations in certain genes that cause problems with eye pressure.
Who is most at risk for developing glaucoma?
Ultimately, anyone can get glaucoma, but certain groups are at higher risk. Those that are at a higher risk for developing glaucoma include:
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African Americans over age 40
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Those over age 60
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People with a family history of glaucoma
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Patients with diabetes
Diagnosing glaucoma
At Baton Rouge Eye Physicians, we diagnose most eye conditions by testing your vision and assessing your eyes. Glaucoma tests are a normal part of a comprehensive eye examination. This is why it’s so important to have annual eye exams. Early diagnosis is key because once you experience vision loss, it cannot be restored. Our doctors work hard to protect our patients’ eyesight and to prevent glaucoma symptoms from occurring at all.
Glaucoma treatment
Glaucoma is treated by lowering the amount of pressure in the eye. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, we may recommend prescription eye drops and oral medications first. Your treatment plan may also include minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) or laser glaucoma surgery.
You must follow your treatment plan carefully to prevent vision loss and to achieve the most healthy eye pressure. We may try different types and combinations of treatments to address your glaucoma before recommending surgery.
Schedule an eye health exam to detect vision issues early
Our team is trained to detect symptoms of glaucoma early on. Schedule a comprehensive eye exam at Baton Rouge Eye Physicians to ensure your vision and eye health remains at their best. When glaucoma is diagnosed early, we can lower eye pressure and protect your eyes from vision loss at our Baton Rouge, LA office.