Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Tonometry is a method of measuring the pressure in the eye. Tonometry is used to determine the pressure in the eye by measuring the tone or firmness of its surface.
What is the intraocular pressure?
Tonometry is very useful to doctors for detection of the pressure in the eye,
or the intraocular pressure (IOP). An elevated IOP can be dangerous because
people with varying degrees of IOP elevation may develop damage to the optic
nerve. The optic nerve collects all of the visual information from the retina of
the eye and transmits that information to the brain, where the signals are
interpreted as vision. When changes occur in the optic nerve leading to
decreased peripheral vision and loss of the nerve tissues, a diagnosis of
glaucoma can be made.
Glaucoma is a fairly common condition, with as many as
10 million sufferers in the United States. Many of these people have not been
checked and therefore do not know that they have glaucoma. Thus, glaucoma
screening efforts as well as regular eye examinations are essential to detect
glaucoma at the earliest possible stages.
Glaucoma is usually, but not always, associated with elevated pressure in the
eye Actually, glaucoma is now considered a disease of the optic nerve, or optic
neuropathy. Generally speaking, the vision loss in glaucoma usually occurs in
both eyes, and is thus termed bilateral. As in many other disease states, the
vision loss may not be symmetric, that is, one eye may be worse than the other.
Vision loss due to glaucoma often begins with a subtle decrease in peripheral
vision. If the glaucoma is not diagnosed and treated, it may progress to loss of
central vision and blindness.
Vision loss in the chronic open-angle form of
glaucoma generally occurs gradually over many years, while the vision loss of
acute angle closure glaucoma may occur within a matter of days if not
immediately treated. Since patients with open-angle glaucoma rarely notice their
gradual peripheral visual field loss, they may not visit an eye doctor until
advanced changes have occurred. Unfortunately, the visual field loss in glaucoma
represents permanent damage to the optic nerve and is therefore irreversible.
For this reason, glaucoma is often called the sneak thief of sight.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
Glaucoma is a common eye condition in which the fluid pressure inside the eye rises because of slowed fluid drainage from the eye. If untreated, glaucoma may damage the optic nerve and other parts of the eye, causing the loss of vision or even blindness.
A cataract is an eye disease that causes the eye's lens to become cloudy and opaque with decreased vision. Causes of cataracts include diabetes, hypothyroidism, certain genetic illnesses, hyperparathyroidism, atopic dermatitis, and certain medications. Symptoms and signs include a decrease in vision and a whitish color to the affected eye. Treatment depends upon the patient's specific visual needs and may involve cataract surgery.
Toxoplasmosis (toxo) is a parasitic infection that causes flulike symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and muscle aches and pains that may last from a few days to several weeks. Toxoplasmosis can be contracted by touching the hands to the mouth after gardening, cleaning a cat's litter box, or anything that came into contact with cat feces. Toxoplasmosis can also be contracted by eating raw or partly cooked meat, especially pork or lamb, or touching the hands to the mouth after contact with raw or undercooked meat.
Many common eye disorders resolve without treatment and some may be managed with over-the-counter (OTC) products. It's important to visit a physician or ophthalmologist is the problem involves the eyeball itself or the condition hasn't improved after 72 hours of use of an eye-care OTC product.
Uveitis is inflammation of the eye. Symptoms include blurred vision, eye pain, eye redness, and floating spots before the eyes. Treatment may involve prescription eyedrops, antibiotics, and wearing dark glasses.
Herpes of the Eye is developed by the herpes simplex 1 virus that usually lives around the nerve fibers in humans. Symptoms of herpes of the eye include pain in and around only one eye, redness rash or sores on the eyelids, redness of the eye, and swelling and cloudiness of the cornea.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that gradually destroys the central vision. In people over 60, AMD is a leading cause of vision loss. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels behind the retina start to grow under the macula, leaking blood and fluid and causing rapid vision loss. In dry AMD, light-sensitive cells slowly break down in the macula, resulting in gradual vision loss. Pain is not associated with either form of AMD.
Disease prevention in men includes routine screening tests that are part of basic prevention medicine. Take an active role in your own health care and discuss screening tests with your doctor early in life. Age of screening and timing of screening depends upon the condition being assessed.
Glaucoma is a disease of the major nerve of vision, called the optic nerve. The optic nerve receives light-generated nerve impulses from the retina and transmits these to the brain, where we recognize those electrical signals as vision. Glaucoma is characterized by a particular pattern of progressive damage to the optic nerve that generally begins with a subtle loss of side vision (peripheral vision). If glaucoma is not diagnosed and treated, it can progress to loss of central vision and blindness.
Glaucoma is usually, but not always, associated with elevated pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure). Generally, it is this elevated eye pressure that leads to damage of the eye (optic) nerve. In some cases, glaucoma may occur in the presence of normal eye pressure. This form of glaucoma is believed to be caused by poor regulation of blood flow to the optic nerve.
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