Shuswap Optometric Center

Glaucoma Testing & Management

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Preserve Your Vision from the “Silent Thief of Sight”

All eye diseases require a professional’s attention, and our team is here to serve you with the best possible options for managing your symptoms. One of the most common eye diseases we see is glaucoma, which progressively damages the optic nerve, often with no noticeable symptoms during its early stages.

We can detect, diagnose, and strategize a management plan to preserve your vision during a routine eye exam. If you believe there’s a chance you could develop glaucoma, please book an appointment to see us as soon as you can. Your actions can protect your vision.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage your optic nerve and cause vision loss. The disease usually develops when intraocular pressure (IOP) levels slowly rise over time, often with no noticeable symptoms. This has earned the disease the nickname “the Silent Thief of Sight,“.

Not all forms of glaucoma develop the exact same way, and particular circumstances can vary from patient to patient. There are 4 common types of glaucoma:

Open-Angle Glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma, also known as primary glaucoma, is the most common type and is responsible for nearly 90% of all Canadian cases.

Open-angle glaucoma occurs when the drainage angle between your iris and cornea remains open, but intraocular fluids aren’t draining properly. This could be due to blockages in the trabecular meshwork.

When your eyes are unable to drain fluids, your IOP levels rise. For a reason unknown to doctors, this pressure damages the optic nerve and causes permanent vision loss.

Closed-angle glaucoma occurs when the drainage angle between the iris and cornea closes, blocking intraocular fluids from draining. This raises your IOP levels quite rapidly, often resulting in sudden and permanent vision loss.

When this happens, you may also experience eye pain, redness, nausea, headaches, or glares and halos around light sources.

Closed-angle glaucoma is considered a medical emergency, so please reach out to our team or visit your nearest emergency room immediately if you experience these symptoms.

Normal-tension glaucoma is a unique version of the disease because it occurs without raising your IOP levels. However, our team can detect and diagnose normal-tension glaucoma by observing your optic nerve for damage during an eye exam.

Secondary glaucoma occurs when injuries, inflammation, or medication block the fluid draining mechanism in your eye, resulting in higher IOP levels. The symptoms may be similar to open-angle or closed-angle glaucoma, and treatment may differ depending on what caused the disease.

Diagnosing Glaucoma

Because glaucoma is so common, we’ve adopted a range of measurement and diagnosis tools to provide you with accurate information.

Goldmann Applanation Tonometer

Goldmann applanation tonometry is considered the “gold standard” of IOP measurement. The device uses a small probe to press lightly against the eye’s surface, measuring the force the eye uses to push back to estimate the IOP.

iCare tonometry is another easy way for our team to measure your IOP levels. The iCare tonometer is handheld, allowing you to find a comfortable position to perform the test. Similar to the Goldmann applanation tonometer, a probe presses lightly against the surface of your eye, measuring its resistance to read IOP.

Ocular coherence tomography (OCT) is one of the many tools we use to observe your retina’s health. OCTs use light to create cross-sectional images of your retina and develop highly detailed pictures.

This device allows us to observe possible damage to your optic nerve.

Fundus photography allows us to see the entire fundus area of your eye, which includes your retina, macula, optic nerve, and fovea. The process is quick, comfortable, and can help us diagnose a range of eye diseases, from macular degeneration to diabetic retinopathy.

Managing Glaucoma

Glaucoma is different for every person, and treatments vary depending on the underlying cause and the type of glaucoma. Some of the most common treatments include medicated eye drops, laser eye surgery, or operating room surgeries like a trabeculectomy.

Damage to your optic nerve is permanent and irreversible, but our team is here to help you manage and control your symptoms and preserve your vision.

Our Locations

Shuswap Optometric Centre

How To Find Us
From the Trans-Canada Highway, turn on to Alexander Street NE going south and take your immediate right into our spacious parking lot. Accessible parking spaces are available.

Contact Information

Address

3-160 Trans-Canada HWY NE
Salmon Arm, BC V1E 1V4

Hours of Operations

Monday
8 AM5 PM
Tuesday
8 AM7:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM5 PM
Thursday
8 AM5 PM
Friday
8 AM5 PM
Saturday
8 AM2 PM
Sunday
Closed

Chase Optometric Centre

How To Find Us
Our clinic is located on Shuswap Avenue, right across the street from Thompson-Nicola Regional Library and Western Financial Group.

Contact Information

Address

633 Shuswap Avenue
Chase, BC V0E 1M0

Hours of Operations

Monday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

We’re closed for lunch from 12:00pm to 1:00pm every day.

How To Find Us
From the Trans-Canada Highway, turn on to Alexander Street NE going south and take your immediate right into our spacious parking lot. Accessible parking spaces are available.

Contact Information

Address

3-160 Trans-Canada HWY NE
Salmon Arm, BC V1E 1V4

Hours of Operations

Monday
8 AM5 PM
Tuesday
8 AM7:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM5 PM
Thursday
8 AM5 PM
Friday
8 AM5 PM
Saturday
8 AM2 PM
Sunday
Closed

How To Find Us
Our clinic is located on Shuswap Avenue, right across the street from Thompson-Nicola Regional Library and Western Financial Group.

Contact Information

Address

633 Shuswap Avenue
Chase, BC V0E 1M0

Hours of Operations

Monday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM4:30 PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

We’re closed for lunch from 12:00pm to 1:00pm every day.

Our Services

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