Gait may be a sign your eye surgeon assesses for glaucoma before treatment in Laguna Hills

Glaucoma can be a serious threat to the longevity of your vision. This condition, which affects pressure on the optic nerve, is thought to affect nearly three million Americans. The World Health Organization has identified glaucoma as the second leading cause of blindness. There is no cure for this eye disease, but there are treatments that can minimize its effects.

In most cases, a visit to the eye surgeon for glaucoma occurs once glaucoma has progressed and ocular discomfort has developed. By this time, it is likely that permanent damage has been done to peripheral vision. Laguna Hills eye surgeon, Dr. George Salib, encourages patients to receive routine eye exams. He also follows developments in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Recent research is assessing how a person’s gait can play a role in earlier detection of glaucoma.

One such project has recently been conducted at Washington State University. The lead-in to the research study is that the earliest signs of glaucoma actually manifest as “clumsiness;” the uneven placement of feet and frequent bumps and falls. This theory has been presented in previous studies in which a correlation was made between frequent falls and the deterioration of vision, though this could also be due to macular degeneration, which affects central vision rather than the periphery.

The Washington State University study is being conducted as a joint project with researchers at UCLA, with one institution gathering and interpreting data and the other designing and developing algorithms. The study of participants’ gait involves sensors worn in shoes. As the patient walks, the sensors record data such as the equality of steps from one foot to the other, the evenness of steps and also their length. Some of the exercises that participants go through include walking a short distance, standing from a seated position to walk a short distance and then returning, and also stepping around and over different obstacles.

The most common glaucoma diagnosis is open-angle glaucoma. This condition gives you very little warning that eyesight is diminishing. For this reason, it is important to see your eye doctor on a regular basis. Because there is no cure for glaucoma, preventive maintenance is vital to the preservation of eyesight.

Don’t wait. Schedule your glaucoma assessment at Orange County Eye Institute today.

It is imperative to know when to visit your eye surgeon for glaucoma treatment. Laguna Hills surgeon Dr. George Salib of Orange County Eye Institute can help.

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