UK HealthCast: Getting insight on glaucoma

UK HealthCast is a podcast series featuring interviews with UK HealthCare experts on a variety of health-related topics.


Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness around the world, yet many people don’t even know they have it. In this edition of UK HealthCast, Dr. Courtney Couch and Dr. Garrett Oberst from UK Advanced Eye Care explain what glaucoma is, why it’s  serious and how regular eye exams can help protect your vision.

Watch their conversation below or continue reading for some key takeaways from the show.

What Is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve,  the part of your eye that sends what you see to your brain. When the pressure inside the eye gets too high, it can slowly harm that nerve. And this damage often happens quietly: people usually don’t notice any changes in their sight until the disease has already caused permanent loss.

At first, glaucoma typically affects peripheral vision, so people might not realize something is wrong. Over time, if untreated, the vision loss can move toward the center of the eye, eventually leading to blindness. 

“Our goal is to catch this as early as possible and intervene in our patients,” Dr. Oberst said. “To make sure that they have good vision and that glaucoma doesn’t affect them.”

Who is most at risk for glaucoma?

Several factors can increase a person’s risk of developing glaucoma. Getting older is one of them, as well as having a family history of the disease. Health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can also make glaucoma more likely. Previous eye injuries or surgeries can also increase risk.

Race can play a role, too. Glaucoma is more common among black and hispanic people. 

Both doctors stress the same message: even if your vision seems fine, you should keep your yearly eye appointments. 

“A lot of times we see patients who say, ‘Okay, I don't have any problems with my vision. I don't think I need glasses,’” Dr. Couch said. “So, they'll go five, 10 years, sometimes even longer without having an eye appointment. And then, you try to convey to them, ‘I think that you may have some characteristics of glaucoma,’ and that kind of leads us down a whole different loop.”

How is glaucoma treated?

For many years, the most common treatment for glaucoma has been eye drops that lower eye pressure. These are still a trusted first step butnew technology available through places like UK Advanced Eye Care has given doctors more options.

One newer treatment is a gentle laser therapy that can reduce pressure without daily drops. A newer minimally invasive, lower-risk glaucoma surgery allows doctors to work on the eye’s natural drainage system, and often can be done at the same time as cataract surgery.

If glaucoma continues to progress, doctors may need to perform a more advanced surgery to create a new drain for fluid in the eye. 

“Glaucoma treatment, unfortunately is often just kicking the can down the road and doing the next least-invasive thing that we can,” Dr. Oberst said. “… It doesn’t mean that anything (we’ve done) has failed,  it just means that over time the drain isn’t working as well and continues to not work as well.”

Living with glaucoma

Many people with glaucoma live full, normal lives, especially when they follow their treatment plans closely. 
“Our goal is for you to stay in that asymptomatic stage,” Dr. Couch said. “The most important thing you can do is keep your appointments and comply with your treatment plan.”

At UK HealthCare, patients are seen regularly for follow-ups and special eye tests to check if their treatment is working. For those who live far away, the doctors often coordinate care with local clinics so that patients don’t have to travel long distances for every visit.

If vision loss does occur, UK HealthCare also offers low-vision services to help people make the most of the sight they have left. 

“Whether it’s reading a Kindle or watching UK basketball,” Dr. Oberst said, “we want to help patients keep doing what they love.”

Glaucoma can sneak up without symptoms, but early detection can make all the difference. With  treatments like those available at UK Advanced Eye Care, many people can live their entire lives without ever losing vision  if they stay on top of their care.

To learn more or to schedule an eye exam, visit https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/advanced-eye-care or call 859-323-5867.