Glaucoma
What does glaucoma screening involve?
Glaucoma screening is a painless examination that checks vision, eye pressure, the front of the eye, the drainage angle and the optic nerve, with a visual field test and optic nerve OCT scan where indicated. It usually takes under an hour. Adults of African ancestry and anyone with a family history should be checked from about 35 years of age.
What happens at the visit
- Vision and refraction, to measure how well each eye sees and whether glasses would help
- Applanation tonometry, which measures pressure inside the eye after a numbing drop
- Slit lamp examination of the cornea, iris and lens
- Gonioscopy, a lens based look at the drainage angle to see whether it is open or narrow
- Examination of the optic disc, usually after drops to widen the pupil
- Visual field testing and OCT of the optic nerve where the clinical picture calls for them
Preparing for your appointment
Bring your glasses, a list of your medicines including any steroid creams or inhalers, and details of eye problems in your family. Pupil dilating drops blur near vision and increase glare for a few hours, so arrange for someone to drive you home or plan to travel by taxi.
How often to repeat it
For adults at higher risk with a normal result, a check every one to two years is reasonable. If you are being monitored as a suspect, or already treated, your ophthalmologist will set a shorter interval. Glaucoma monitoring depends on comparing results across visits, so keeping to review dates matters as much as the first test.
What we offer at Standard Eye
Pressure measurement, visual field analysis, optic nerve OCT and digital fundus imaging are all available at our hospital in Garki, Abuja, so assessment and monitoring can usually be completed without referral elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
- Does screening hurt?
- No. The pressure check uses an anaesthetic drop, and the scans and field test only need you to sit still and look at a target.
- Can I bring a relative?
- Yes, and it is often helpful. Family members share risk, and many are checked on the same visit.
Concerned about these symptoms?
Arrange an eye examination with our consultant ophthalmologist in Garki, Abuja.
Care at Standard Eye
Related answers
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