Glaucoma Specialist
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Smart Eye Care
Ophthalmologists located in Brooklyn, NY
At least 3 million Americans suffer from glaucoma, but half don’t know it. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, so it’s important to see an eye doctor regularly and get screened for glaucoma progression. If you live in or around Brooklyn in New York City, trust the doctors at Smart Eye Care for early diagnosis and treatment. To make an appointment with Dr. Edward Rubinchik, Dr. Evelyn Icasiano, Dr. Leon Aleksandrovich, or Dr. William Kestin, call the office or use the online booking agent.
Glaucoma Q & A
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a sight-threatening disease. Eye fluid causes a build-up of pressure in the eye, which can cause damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain, so if this nerve is damaged, you risk severely-impaired vision and blindness. Early diagnosis and treatment by the doctors at Smart Eye Care help prevent blindness.
Who is at risk for developing glaucoma?
It's important that everyone is screened for glaucoma, but people who are at higher risk should be especially diligent. Characteristics that put you at higher risk for glaucoma include:
- Being age 40 and above
- Family history of glaucoma
- Diabetes
- Myopia or a previous eye injury
- Long-term steroid use
African American patients are also at an increased risk of developing glaucoma and are more likely to lose their vision to it.
What are the symptoms of glaucoma?
With open-angle glaucoma, you may not notice any symptoms at all. You may have slight vision loss, but usually, your stronger eye makes up for it, so you don't notice much of a change.
In cases of closed-angle glaucoma, you may either have no symptoms or experience severe symptoms, such as:
- Severely blurred vision
- Eye pain
- Seeing halos around lights
- Redness in the eye
How is glaucoma detected?
Early diagnosis and treatment is the key to preserving visual function for your lifetime. At Smart Eye Care, the doctors and medical team use advanced diagnostic equipment to identify glaucoma and track its progression. If you seem to be at risk, the doctors closely monitor your symptoms until glaucoma progresses.
How is glaucoma treated?
As your glaucoma progresses, the team at Smart Eye Care manages the condition with eye drops to lower the intraocular pressure or IOP. If the IOP is difficult to control with medication, the doctors may treat glaucoma with low-level light therapy or recommend surgical options to manage it.
During surgery, Dr. Rubinchik, Dr. Icasiano, Dr. Aleksandrovich, or Dr. Kestin inserts the iStent®, a device that allows increased drainage of the eye fluid from the eye. This can successfully reduce intraocular pressure.
Another option is EndoCycloPhotocoagulation or ECP. During this procedure, the doctor inserts a probe into the eye that inactivates the nodes in the eye that produce fluid, subsequently reducing the pressure that’s so dangerous to your vision.