Glaucoma01, whether you have glaucoma or not, as we age it is much better to use ophthalmologist for all of your eye needs. The ophthalmologist can test you for all types of eye issues, and recommend a variety of ways for corrections.
Oh, pamstegma and Hedgie, I probably did make it sound as if an ophthalmologist were the only answer to finding Glaucoma. A primary physician or any medical doctor can tell many things by looking in our eyes. In my stubborn husband's case, though, he had an aversion to going to doctors. So, he hadn't been to one in over 20 years! When he started to need new glasses, the optometrist saw him twice. Both times he mentioned cataracts only. I checked around and found the best ophlamologist, who specialized in cataracts. He was the one who discovered the Glaucoma and did the surgery that saved what little vision my husband had left. I guess I should have encouraged everyone to have a primary doctor and see him regularly.
That move probably saved hubby's life. The ophthalmologist wouldn't do surgery without a primary doctor. The primary doctor (that we had to get established with because of the eye) and the antithisiologist (sp?) discovered hubby's a-fib, which caused a referral to a cardiologist. Hubby casually mentioned occasional incontinence to the primary doctor, who referred him to a urologist. The urologist discovered a severe UTI, and tests showed benign bladder cancer. We were grateful it was restricted to the bladder, but the doctor said it was the aggressive and fast-growing kind. He goes every three weeks to have the bladder cleaned and scraped as a precaucation, and some medication is applied to retard further growth. In February, two of the tumors that were removed were malignant. At his age, he and the doctor agreed that removal of the bladder was not an option. So, he is going to continue the three-month checkup and procedure.
So, you see why in stubborn hubby's case, the initial step to saving his life was his first trip to the opthamologist. If he had been seeing a doctor regularly, who knows? He might have saved a lot of vision he lost and caught all of the other problems before they became critical? When all of this happened and was caught just in time, I really thought I was losing him.
Thank you for adding to my post. I guess my enthusiasm about the good news about the Glaucoma from the doctor's appointment was all that was on my mind.
Please find an opthalmologist who specializes in glaucoma for a full evaluation. Caught early, glaucoma can be controlled through a variety of methods -- drops, laser surgery, and other types of surgery. Not every opthalmologist is highly skilled in the treatment of glaucoma.
Loss of visual field can have many causes, not necessarily glaucoma. A good optician can see puckers, holes, mini strokes etc on the retinal area. Talk over the results of both tests with your primary MD.
I just have to share the good news and encourage everyone to have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist! As I said above, my husband was going blind from Glaucoma and thought it was just cataracts. He had a checkup with his doctor today. The doctor said with the surgery on his left eye and the eye drops in the right one, there has been no further deterioration since March 2014! He said to return for another checkup in 9 months, and the cataract on the right eye will be ready to remove. Anyone who has had a cataract removed knows what a difference it makes; so, if we can keep his other problems under control, he should be able to see even better in 9 months. Needless to say, the doctor, my husband, and I were very pleased today!
My husband was 86 and had lost almost all of the vision in his left eye and most of it in the right one before the optometrist, who checked him for glasses on a regular basis, told him to go to an ophthalmologist. My husband thought he needed cataracts removed. The pressure in his eyes was almost twice what it should have been. Thanks to the ophthalmologist's skill, the pressure was brought down to normal and a long, intricate surgical procedure saved the vision that my husband still had. I think regular checkups with an ophthalmologist are as important as the ones with your primary doctor. I am not sure what your question is.
An optitcian is a dispenser of eyeglasses. Did your field test indicate that you lack vision in part of your visual field? Are you questioning the referral to an ophthalmologist?
Here is information about Medicare and eye exams. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/glaucoma-tests.html
That move probably saved hubby's life. The ophthalmologist wouldn't do surgery without a primary doctor. The primary doctor (that we had to get established with because of the eye) and the antithisiologist (sp?) discovered hubby's a-fib, which caused a referral to a cardiologist. Hubby casually mentioned occasional incontinence to the primary doctor, who referred him to a urologist. The urologist discovered a severe UTI, and tests showed benign bladder cancer. We were grateful it was restricted to the bladder, but the doctor said it was the aggressive and fast-growing kind. He goes every three weeks to have the bladder cleaned and scraped as a precaucation, and some medication is applied to retard further growth. In February, two of the tumors that were removed were malignant. At his age, he and the doctor agreed that removal of the bladder was not an option. So, he is going to continue the three-month checkup and procedure.
So, you see why in stubborn hubby's case, the initial step to saving his life was his first trip to the opthamologist. If he had been seeing a doctor regularly, who knows? He might have saved a lot of vision he lost and caught all of the other problems before they became critical? When all of this happened and was caught just in time, I really thought I was losing him.
Thank you for adding to my post. I guess my enthusiasm about the good news about the Glaucoma from the doctor's appointment was all that was on my mind.