Can glaucoma be cured?

Glaucoma cannot be cured, and vision already lost cannot be recovered. It can, however, be controlled. Lowering eye pressure through treatment is effective at slowing or halting further damage in most patients, which is why early detection and consistent follow-up matter so much.

Will I know if I have glaucoma?

Usually not, at least not early on. Open-angle glaucoma — the most common form — is painless and affects peripheral vision first, and the brain compensates for the gaps. Most patients are diagnosed during a routine eye exam before they notice anything.

How often should I be tested?

A comprehensive eye exam that includes eye pressure and optic nerve assessment is the baseline. If you have risk factors — family history, age over 40, high myopia, or diabetes — Dr. Yu may recommend more frequent monitoring with imaging and visual field testing. Patients diagnosed with glaucoma or identified as suspects are followed on an individualized schedule.

Is glaucoma hereditary?

Family history is one of the strongest risk factors. If a parent or sibling has glaucoma, your risk is significantly higher, and testing should begin earlier and be repeated more often. It's worth telling your family members if you're diagnosed.

Does the eye pressure test hurt?

No. Eye pressure testing is quick and painless. If a method involving contact with the eye is used, anaesthetic drops are instilled first so you feel nothing.

Can I be referred to an ophthalmologist?

Yes. Advanced glaucoma and cases requiring laser or surgical treatment are referred as a matter of course, and a referral is available to any patient who would prefer one at any stage of care.

What is a glaucoma suspect?

A glaucoma suspect is someone with findings that raise the possibility of glaucoma — such as elevated eye pressure or an optic nerve that looks unusual — but without confirmed damage. Suspects are monitored over time rather than treated immediately, so that treatment starts only if evidence of change appears.

Is sudden eye pain with blurred vision an emergency?

Sudden severe eye pain with redness, blurred vision, haloes around lights, headache, or nausea can indicate acute angle-closure glaucoma, which is a medical emergency and can damage vision within hours. Contact us at (587) 349-6986, or attend an emergency department if outside our clinic hours.

Glaucoma Testing & Management | Primaris Vision Calgary

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve — the connection between your eye and your brain. It is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, and in its most common form it develops slowly and without symptoms. Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored, but with early detection and treatment, further loss can usually be prevented.

Because glaucoma is painless in its early stages and affects peripheral vision first, most people don't notice a problem until significant damage has occurred. Regular comprehensive eye exams are the only reliable way to catch it early.

At Primaris Vision, Dr. Michael Yu provides glaucoma testing, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing monitoring using current diagnostic imaging and functional testing.

Managing Glaucoma

If glaucoma is diagnosed, Dr. Yu will discuss a treatment plan with you. Treatment aims to lower eye pressure to a level the optic nerve can tolerate, most often beginning with prescription eye drops used daily.

Ongoing care involves regular follow-up visits with repeat imaging and visual field testing to confirm that treatment is working and the condition remains stable. Advanced glaucoma, cases requiring laser or surgical treatment, and conditions that prove difficult to control are referred to an ophthalmologist, with Dr. Yu continuing to provide your ongoing eye care alongside your specialist. A referral to an ophthalmologist is available to any patient who would prefer one, at any stage of care.

Glaucoma suspects. Not everyone with elevated pressure or an unusual-looking optic nerve has glaucoma. Patients identified as glaucoma suspects are monitored at intervals with repeat imaging and visual field testing, so that treatment begins only if and when there is evidence of change.

Staying on track. Glaucoma treatment is long-term, and because the condition rarely causes noticeable symptoms, consistency matters. Using drops as prescribed and attending scheduled follow-up visits are the most effective things you can do to protect your vision.

What Is Glaucoma?

In most cases, glaucoma is associated with pressure inside the eye that is too high for the optic nerve to tolerate. Over time, nerve fibres are lost, creating gaps in the visual field that gradually expand. Some people develop glaucoma at normal eye pressures, which is why assessment involves more than a pressure reading alone.

Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common form. The eye's drainage system becomes less efficient over time, pressure rises gradually, and peripheral vision is lost so slowly that it often goes unnoticed until the disease is advanced.

Angle-closure glaucoma occurs when the drainage angle becomes physically blocked. It can develop gradually, or occur suddenly as an acute attack — with severe eye pain, redness, blurred vision, haloes around lights, headache, and nausea. Acute angle closure is a medical emergency requiring immediate care.

Normal-tension glaucoma involves optic nerve damage despite eye pressure within the normal range, and is diagnosed through nerve imaging and visual field testing.

Secondary glaucoma can develop as a result of eye injury, inflammation, advanced cataract, certain medications such as long-term steroids, or other eye conditions.

Risk factors

Age over 40, with risk increasing each decade
Family history of glaucoma — particularly a parent or sibling
Elevated eye pressure
Thin corneas
High myopia or high hyperopia
Diabetes, low blood pressure, or sleep apnea
Previous eye injury or long-term steroid use

Signs and symptoms

Open-angle glaucoma typically produces no symptoms until vision loss is well advanced. When symptoms do appear, they may include:

Gradual loss of peripheral or side vision
Difficulty adjusting to dim lighting
Bumping into objects or missing steps and curbs

Seek urgent care for sudden severe eye pain with redness, blurred vision, haloes around lights, headache, or nausea — these can indicate acute angle closure. Contact us at (587) 349-6986.

Frequently asked questions

Glaucoma

Glaucoma Testing at Primaris Vision

Diagnosing glaucoma requires several tests together — no single measurement is sufficient on its own. Because glaucoma is defined by change over time, establishing a baseline is as important as any individual result.

Eye Pressure Testing (Tonometry) Measuring intraocular pressure is a standard part of every comprehensive eye exam at our clinic. Pressure alone doesn't diagnose glaucoma, but it identifies patients who need closer assessment and is a primary target of treatment.

Optic Nerve Examination Dr. Yu examines the optic nerve head directly, assessing its shape, cupping, rim tissue, and any signs of nerve fibre loss or small haemorrhages. This is performed as part of a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Optic Nerve OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) OCT measures the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer and the ganglion cell layer around the macula — the structures damaged in glaucoma. It can detect thinning before any vision loss is measurable, and repeated scans allow precise tracking of change over time.

Visual Field Testing Automated visual field testing maps your peripheral vision and detects the characteristic patterns of loss caused by glaucoma. Serial testing shows whether the disease is stable or progressing.

Optic Nerve Photography Baseline and follow-up photographs document the appearance of the optic nerve for direct comparison at future visits.

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