Glaucoma Treatment in Tucson

Don’t Let Glaucoma Rob You of Your Sight

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness.

It's caused by fluid build-up and increased pressure within the eye that damages the optic nerve that progressively worsens your vision. This disease can cause severe, irreversible vision loss if left untreated.

In many cases, appropriate control and treatment can help prevent further damage to the eyes and protect your vision. Family Vision Center offers several treatments to help address glaucoma. Learn more about the treatments we provide and contact us to schedule an appointment.

Glaucoma diagnosis

The 2 Main Types of Glaucoma

grandfather wearing glasses holding his granddaughter

Open-angle glaucoma: the most common type. It is a lifelong condition that accounts for at least 90% of all glaucoma cases.
Angle-closure glaucoma: a rare form of the disease which requires immediate medical attention. It occurs when the angle is closed in many or most areas between the iris and cornea, which reduces fluid drainage and increases eye pressure.

Glaucoma: The Sneaky Thief of Sight

There is a reason glaucoma is called “the sneaky thief of sight”--half the people with glaucoma don’t even know they have it! Meaning, they may not have symptoms in the early stages.

At Family Vision Center, we diagnose and help preserve your vision with cutting-edge glaucoma treatments that can slow the progression of the disease.

If you have a family history of glaucoma or have been diagnosed with glaucoma, contact us today.

optometrist in Tucson

What are the Signs of Glaucoma?

glaucoma signs

As mentioned earlier, glaucoma usually shows no symptoms in its early stages. When signs do manifest, it's usually loss of tunnel vision or peripheral vision. Unfortunately, by the time vision loss has occurred, it cannot be reversed.

That said, the less common angle-closure glaucoma does show a sudden onset of symptoms, including:

Extreme eye pain
Eye redness
Blurred vision
Nausea

If you experience any of these symptoms, seek prompt diagnosis and treatment by contacting Family Vision Center in Tucson or visiting your nearest emergency room.

Who's at Risk for Glaucoma?

Age 40 +

The prevalence of glaucoma increases with age, with most glaucoma patients aged 40 and up. That said, there is a much rarer form of this disease (congenital glaucoma) that affects infants.
Family History & Ethnicity

Your risk for developing glaucoma is higher if you have a family history of the disease. Those of African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American, and Indigenous Canadian descent have a higher risk of developing this disease.
Other Conditions

High myopia, hypertension and diabetes can increase the risk of developing glaucoma.
Eye Injury or Trauma

An eye injury, trauma or eye surgery can increase the likelihood of developing glaucoma.

Common Glaucoma Treatments

There is currently no cure for glaucoma. However, several treatments are available to prevent the progression of this sight-robbing condition. With the right care, you have a higher chance of managing your glaucoma and preserving your vision.

Common treatments include:

Eye Drops

Your optometrist will prescribe eye drops to help regulate pressure inside the eye by decreasing fluid production and/or improving drainage.

Laser Surgery

If eye drops aren’t doing enough to reduce intraocular pressure or intraocular temperature in open-angle glaucoma, laser surgery may be an option. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) opens up the drainage system in the eye to reduce pressure.

SLT is successful in 80% of cases and can reduce eye pressure by 20%.

Other Surgeries

If a laser procedure or eye drops do not lower eye pressure to the desired level, your eye doctor may recommend one of the following surgeries:

Incision Surgery
Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)
Glaucoma Drainage Implants

Glaucoma Testing Treatment FAQs

How does an eye doctor diagnose glaucoma?

Since glaucoma has no side effects early on, it is essential for people with a family history of risk factors for glaucoma to get tested. The following tests diagnose glaucoma:

Tonometry: measures the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure or IOP)
Ophthalmoscopy (dilated eye exam): examines the shape and color of the optic nerve
Perimetry: measures your field of vision
Gonioscopy: checks the angle where the iris meets the cornea
Pachymetry: determines the thickness of the cornea to better evaluate eye pressure.

What foods should you avoid if you have glaucoma?

The following are the foods every glaucoma patient should consider avoiding immediately. It should help keep your optic nerve healthy and minimize eye pressure.

Caffeine - certain studies show that caffeine contributes to increased intraocular pressure.
Saturated fats - a diet high in saturated fats can lead to weight gain, which not only increases intraocular pressure but also cholesterol levels.
Trans fats - try to limit your consumption of trans fats because they can also raise cholesterol levels
Salt - make sure to consume salt sparingly, as increased blood pressure can indirectly lead to intraocular pressure.

What percentage of glaucoma patients go blind?

About 60% of patients diagnosed with glaucoma will eventually lose some vision.

However, the rate of legal blindness among glaucoma patients is 5%. Getting effective treatment early on will greatly increase your ability to preserve and maximize your vision.

Patient Reviews

4.6

211 Reviews

- Dec. 27, 2025

I was a new patient and from the time I entered the service was impeccable. I'm a big stickler on cu... Show Morestomer service and I will say from the smiles to the greetings they had me before I even saw the doctor. The first point of contact was professional and efficient, just very smooth. Was called back in less than five minutes of entering. Again, very professional, greeted with a smile, a great greeting and a genuine sense of caring. The first point of contact was a technician to do the preliminary testing for the doctor and she explain every step in great detail. Very impressed! Took me to the patient room for a couple more test with the tech and then was told that the doctor would be right in. Yup, 3 minutes later Dr. Amy came in, greeted me like we knew each other for years. Made me feel so comfortable. I did have a eye problem that developed recently that had me a little worried and Dr. Amy made me feel relaxed and that there was nothing to worry about right off the bat. She is amazing, explained and showed me exactly what was going on with my slight blurred vision in one eye and made sure I knew it was nothing even remotely serious to make me feel better through her whole exam. I'm telling you, I'm 60 years old and been around and this is the first time in a vision center that I felt like a true patient and not looked at for $$. The explanation of all the tests, the showing of the pictures of my eyes and telling me my eyes were good with all the explanations, they were not perfect but not trying to sell me a prescription that was not needed. I use readers and she explained my insurance and what they pay every year. I asked her since a prescription wasn't needed could I use my insurance benefit for good readers with the right strength in each eye instead of the $20 pair from walgreens. Took me to the optician and we found a pair that my insurance covered and I will have a great pair of readers soon. My experience here was just awesome!! I would definitely recommend this business if you want great service and awesome knowledgeable doctors, along with very knowledgeable opticians that were never in a hurry and never a "just buy those" mentality. They really cared!! This place definitely deserves a 10 out of 5 in my book and that says alot coming from someone who holds very high standards!! Thank you Dr. Amy and your team for the utmost professionalism that you and your team showed this patient!!