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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Interoccular Pressure Constant. Test Done To Look At Optic Nerve. Why Is Visual Test Done Every Year?

The Visual Field test is given to me every year. I am 67, female, taking latanaprost/( Xalatan ) drops in each eye every night. My interocclar pressure always measures around 15-16. A different test is done as well to look at te optic nerve . I ve been stable like this, taking these tests for a long time 20 years. My question is why the Visual Field test needs to be repeated every year in the absence of any issues?
Thu, 28 Feb 2013
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Ophthalmologist,  's  Response
Glaucoma is a the condition of the eye where the intraocular pressures are too high to maintain the normal health of the optic nerve. Damage to the fibres of the nerve proceeds very slowly when the pressures are not that high. In your case, you are on one of the better known medications for IOP control, however, the eye may get 'immune' to the medication and there can be a slow rise in the IOP even after many years of control with the same medication. Other drugs are then added or sustituted. If there is damage that starts,, only a visual field or an OCT( optical coherence tomography) can detect it in early stages. The patients vision or the funduscopy cannot detect early changes. Since any change secondary to glaucoma can only be halted, never reversed, the extra precaution is worth it.
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Interoccular Pressure Constant. Test Done To Look At Optic Nerve. Why Is Visual Test Done Every Year?

Glaucoma is a the condition of the eye where the intraocular pressures are too high to maintain the normal health of the optic nerve. Damage to the fibres of the nerve proceeds very slowly when the pressures are not that high. In your case, you are on one of the better known medications for IOP control, however, the eye may get immune to the medication and there can be a slow rise in the IOP even after many years of control with the same medication. Other drugs are then added or sustituted. If there is damage that starts,, only a visual field or an OCT( optical coherence tomography) can detect it in early stages. The patients vision or the funduscopy cannot detect early changes. Since any change secondary to glaucoma can only be halted, never reversed, the extra precaution is worth it.