Older woman struggling to see as she suffers from glaucoma, in need of treatment

How Glaucoma Progresses and the Importance of Early Treatment

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Glaucoma, often referred to as the ‘silent thief of sight,’ is a serious eye disease that damages vision gradually. Without early intervention, its effects can become permanent.At Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser in Honolulu, HI, Dr. Dennis Maehara, founder of the clinic over 30 years ago, and his son, Dr. Jeffrey Maehara, a board-certified Anterior Segment-Glaucoma Specialist, provide cutting-edge glaucoma care tailored to each patient.

Using advanced technology and a patient-centered approach, the Maehara team is dedicated to helping preserve vision and improve quality of life. Understanding how glaucoma progresses and the importance of early treatment is crucial to protecting your eyesight for years to come.

What is Glaucoma?

Affecting the optic nerve, glaucoma disrupts the critical pathway that transmits visual information from the eyes to the brain. It’s often caused by increased pressure within the eye, though it can also occur with normal eye pressure. Without treatment, this damage can lead to gradual, irreversible vision loss.

Glaucoma is particularly concerning because symptoms typically appear only after significant damage has occurred. That’s why routine eye exams are critical—early detection is the key to preserving vision.

The Glaucoma Timeline

The progression of glaucoma happens in stages:

  1. Early Stage: During this stage, glaucoma often has no noticeable symptoms. However, the optic nerve may already be experiencing damage. Routine eye exams are crucial, particularly for individuals over 40 or those with a genetic predisposition to glaucoma.
  2. Middle Stage: Vision loss begins to occur, typically starting with peripheral vision. Without treatment, the damage accelerates, potentially impacting daily activities.
  3. Late Stage: Severe vision impairment or blindness occurs if glaucoma remains untreated. At this stage, lost vision cannot be restored.

Each stage underscores the importance of early detection and treatment to prevent further damage.

The Importance of Early Glaucoma Treatment

Fortunately, glaucoma treatment can slow or stop the progression of the disease. Offering a personalized approach, Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser in Honolulu ensures each patient receives the right care. Potential treatments include:

  • Medications: Eye drops or oral medications to reduce eye pressure.
  • Laser Therapy: Minimally invasive procedures to improve fluid drainage.
  • Surgical Treatment: Advanced surgical techniques to control eye pressure.

With early intervention, these treatments can preserve vision and improve quality of life.

Don’t Wait to Protect Your Vision in Honolulu, HI

Protecting your vision starts with a simple step: scheduling a consultation. At Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser, our experienced team is committed to providing cutting-edge glaucoma treatment and compassionate care.

Now is the time to act—glaucoma’s progression doesn’t stop, but expert care can help maintain your vision. Contact us today at 808-955-3937 to schedule your consultation and safeguard your vision for the future.

Man rubbing his eyes due to glaucoma symptoms, exploring medical marijuana as a potential relief option

Medical Marijuana for Glaucoma: What Patients Should Know

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Medical marijuana for glaucoma is increasingly used as a supplemental treatment for managing eye pressure and alleviating discomfort. As a leading cause of blindness, glaucoma requires careful management, and some studies suggest that compounds like THC in cannabis may offer temporary relief when used alongside traditional treatments.

At Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser in Honolulu, HI, we specialize in advanced glaucoma management using a combination of traditional methods and cutting-edge technology. Our practice, led by Dr. Jeffrey Maehara, a fellowship-trained anterior segment and glaucoma specialist, and Dr. Dennis Maehara, who has over 30 years of experience, is dedicated to preserving vision and enhancing eye health for our patients. 

How Medical Marijuana Helps Lower Eye Pressure in Glaucoma Patients

Research indicates that THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, may lower intraocular pressure by up to 25% for a short duration of three to four hours. However, these effects are temporary, requiring frequent doses that may not be practical for long-term glaucoma management. Medical marijuana may also help alleviate associated symptoms like headaches and nausea, providing a complementary option for patients under medical supervision.

Comparing Medical Marijuana with Traditional Glaucoma Treatments

While cannabis treatment is gaining attention, traditional methods like prescription eye drops, laser therapy, or surgical interventions remain the gold standard. Unlike medical marijuana, which offers temporary relief, these treatments provide consistent, long-term control of eye pressure. Combining approaches may benefit some patients, but a thorough consultation is essential to determine the most effective plan.

State Laws for Obtaining a Medical Marijuana License for Glaucoma

For patients in Hawaii, obtaining a medical marijuana license involves meeting specific eligibility criteria. Glaucoma is a recognized condition for which medical marijuana is permitted, but patients must provide documentation from a licensed physician confirming their diagnosis. Applications are processed through the Hawaii Department of Health, which also regulates the use of cannabis. Familiarize yourself with the laws to ensure compliance and safe access.

Discover Expert Glaucoma Care at Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser

Discover innovative approaches to glaucoma management, including medical marijuana options, at Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser in Honolulu, HI. Our experienced team is dedicated to preserving your vision and enhancing your quality of life. Call 808.955.3937 today to learn more.

A woman with glaucoma rubbing her eyes

Is Glaucoma Hereditary?

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Glaucoma encompasses a collection of eye disorders that affect the optic nerve, which is essential for proper vision. This injury is frequently caused by very high pressure in your eye.

Heredity plays a role in the condition, making it important to know your family’s eye health history. Learn more about the genetic aspect of glaucoma below.

Understanding the Genetic Factors of Glaucoma

Research shows that genes are indeed a factor in many types of glaucoma. For example, primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common type, has been linked to several genetic mutations.

If you have a family member with glaucoma, especially a direct relative like a parent or sibling, your risk of developing the condition may be higher. Genetic tests are available to identify some of the genes associated with glaucoma, but they are not yet standard practice for everyone.

How to Manage Your Risk

Knowing that glaucoma can be hereditary, you might feel a need to take action. Start with regular eye check-ups, particularly if your family history suggests a higher risk.

These exams are essential as glaucoma often does not present any symptoms until significant vision loss has occurred. Early detection through routine screenings can make a significant difference in outcomes.

In addition to monitoring your eye health, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help manage your risk. 

Regular exercise and a balanced diet benefit overall body health, including the eyes. Also, managing other health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, is important, as these can increase the likelihood of developing glaucoma.

The Importance of Awareness and Regular Check-Ups

Awareness is your first line of defense. Knowing about the hereditary aspects of glaucoma empowers you to take proactive measures. Remember, early detection through regular eye exams plays a critical role in preventing significant vision loss from glaucoma.

If glaucoma is a concern for you, consider starting a conversation with your eye doctor during your next visit. They can help assess your risk and suggest preventive measures. 

By staying informed and vigilant about eye health, you can better manage the risk of glaucoma, whether or not it runs in your family.

Schedule Your Glaucoma Consultation in Waipahu & Honolulu, HI

Concerned about glaucoma and its hereditary aspects? Visit Jeffrey Maehara, MD, for a comprehensive consultation. Our team of experts is here to assess your risk and guide you through the best preventative measures.

Don’t wait until it’s too late — schedule a consultation today and take the first step toward protecting your vision. For more information or to make an appointment, call us at 808-955-3937 (Honolulu) or 808-671-3782 (Waipahu). Let us be your partner in better eye health.

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. The key to managing this potentially blinding illness is early detection. Do you know the signs of glaucoma?

Glaucoma Awareness Month: Signs and Symptoms of Glaucoma

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January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, a time dedicated to educating patients about glaucoma, the leading cause of blindness. Research has found about 10% of people with glaucoma fail to recognize the symptoms until it is too late to save their vision.

Glaucoma is a disease that does not discriminate. Everyone is at risk, and early detection is the key to effective treatment. It’s essential to know the signs and symptoms of glaucoma.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an umbrella term for eye conditions that affect the optic nerve, responsible for sending visual signals to the brain for interpretation. Glaucoma can affect anyone at any age, but it is the leading cause of blindness for people over 60.

What Causes Glaucoma?

Glaucoma describes a group of conditions that damage the optic nerve. The cause of that damage can vary. Elevated eye pressure is the most common cause. If fluid builds up in the eye, it can put too much pressure on the optic nerve, eventually damaging it and causing complete vision loss.

The most common form of glaucoma is open-angle, which occurs when the drainage system in the eye fails. The other forms include closed-angle glaucoma, congenital glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma.

What Are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?

There are several forms of glaucoma, some with no symptoms at all. You might have:

  • Patchy blind spots, especially in your side or peripheral vision
  • Severe headache
  • Eye pain
  • Blurred vision
  • Colored rings around lights
  • Eye redness and irritation

If you experience sudden changes in your vision, severe headaches, or eye pain, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor immediately.

What Can You Do To Reduce Your Risk of Glaucoma?

The most effective way to reduce your risk of vision loss from glaucoma is to see your eye doctor regularly. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends you make an appointment yearly for a comprehensive eye exam if you are over 65. However, if you are at a higher risk of developing glaucoma, you should schedule eye exams annually, regardless of age.

Schedule Glaucoma Testing From Dr. Jeffrey Maehara, MD

Dr. Jeffrey Maehara is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in eye care to support vision throughout your life. Call 808-955-3937 or go online to schedule your appointment today and stay ahead of glaucoma.

Glaucoma

5 Important Facts About Glaucoma

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Around 3 million people have glaucoma in the United States. As the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, early detection is key when it comes to taking the steps needed to slow the progression of the disease. There are five important facts that you should know about glaucoma.

5 Important Facts About Glaucoma

1. There Are No Symptoms of Glaucoma Until the Damage Is Irreversible

Early on, there are no symptoms of glaucoma. In fact, people do not typically experience any signs of the disease until it has resulted in irreversible damage. At this point, individuals may notice some problems with their vision.

2. There Is No Cure, but There Are Treatments

Even though the damage that has been done as a result of glaucoma is not able to be reversed, having the ability to treat the condition early can help slow the progression. Treatments can help to reduce the pressure on your eyes and resolve any drainage issues.

3. Some People Have a Higher Risk of Developing Glaucoma

There are certain people who may have a higher risk of developing glaucoma. In general, individuals who are over 60 and have a family history of glaucoma are at higher risk than others. Additionally, Mexican Americans and African Americans are also more likely to develop glaucoma than those in other ethnic groups. This makes it important for individuals of these ethnicities to schedule regular eye exams.

4. Glaucoma Is Caused by Excess Fluid Buildup

Glaucoma tends to develop as a result of fluid accumulating in the eye. This puts pressure on the eye and can cause damage to the optic nerve if it becomes compressed.

5. You Can Catch Glaucoma Early With Regular Eye Exams

Having regular eye exams can help you detect glaucoma early on. This provides you with the best chances of getting treatment before the damage progresses to impact your vision.

Schedule an Eye Exam Today

Living with glaucoma can be challenging. However, early detection is key to ensuring you can start treatment early. Contact Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser to schedule an appointment at their Honolulu, HI, office at 808-955-3937 or complete the form online.

How Glaucoma Affects Your Vision

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Your vision can be affected by any number of environmental or internal factors. Since your eyes are so delicate, it is essential to protect them as much as possible to help prevent vision issues to even a loss of your vision. Unfortunately, the causes of many eye conditions that can lead to severe vision issues are largely unknown.

Glaucoma is one such disease of the eye that, while a specific cause is unknown, can lead to serious vision issues and, if left untreated, complete vision loss. Glaucoma refers to a build-up of pressure in the eye that compresses the optic nerve. Over time, this can lead to permanent vision loss.

The most common cause of glaucoma is a water or fluid build-up that becomes trapped between the iris and the cornea. This occurs when the drainage canals become blocked, or the fluid in the eye is a different consistency or make-up than normal.

As more and more fluid fills this area, pressure begins to increase at the back of the eye, near the retina, and compresses the optic nerve. Although rare, glaucoma can also occur in patients with normal eye pressure.

Depending on the type of glaucoma, your ophthalmologist may prescribe specific medication to reduce the pressure in the eye that comes in either tablet form or eye drops. If there is a build-up of fluid in the area between the iris and cornea, laser or surgery or another procedure may be required to drain the fluid and reduce the pressure.

Although glaucoma is primarily considered a hereditary disease, there are several steps you can take to reduce the chances of it occurring and lessen the symptoms and risk of vision loss. Maintaining a healthy nutrition plan and regular exercise can help keep the fluid in the eye at a consistency where it can flow easily and reduce the chance of blockages in the drainage canals.

There is no reason to wait to contact an experienced ophthalmologist if you have any eye issues or sudden changes in your vision. Early treatment can make a difference in preserving your eyesight. Call Maehara Eye Surgery and Laser in Honolulu, HI, at 808-955-3937 or visit www.maeharaeyes.com to schedule a consultation today.

Glaucoma

What you need to know about glaucoma

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Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60. When found early, glaucoma can be treated and slow or prevent vision loss. Read on to learn more about glaucoma, the signs and symptoms and treatment options.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions responsible for damaging the optic nerve, which is essential for good vision. It is caused by abnormally high pressure in the eye. 

Signs and symptoms

Unfortunately, many forms of glaucoma have no waning signs. The change is so gradual that you may not notice anything is wrong with your vision until the condition has reached an advanced stage. 

If you have frequent, patchy blind spots in your peripheral or side vision or central vision or tunnel vision, you may have open-angle glaucoma. Acute angle-closure glaucoma presents with severe headache, eye pain, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, halos around lights and eye redness. 

Regular eye exams

If left untreated, glaucoma will eventually cause blindness. Since glaucoma often comes with no warning signs, it’s vital to have regular eye exams. An eye exam should include measurements of your eye pressure. When a diagnosis can be made in the early stages of glaucoma or any eye disease or condition, it can be treated more appropriately. If glaucoma is caught early, vision loss can be slowed or even prevented. 

Prevention

In addition to getting regular eye exams, it’s important to know your family’s eye health history, as genetics play a role in glaucoma development. Follow a moderate exercise program. Take prescribed eye drops regularly, even if you don’t exhibit any symptoms. Also wear eye protection as serious eye injuries can lead to glaucoma.

Treatment

If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, the damage done cannot be reversed. Treatment options may include prescription eyedrops, oral medications, laser surgery or traditional surgery. 

If you are concerned about glaucoma and want to learn more about prevention or treatment, it’s important to schedule an eye exam today by calling Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser at 808.955.3937. 

Risk factors for glaucoma and what you can do about them

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Glaucoma is an age-related eye disease where increased pressure in the eye damages your eye’s optic nerves, getting worse over time. Too often, the people who have the most common type of glaucoma do not have any warning signs. By the time they notice symptoms, it’s usually in the later stages of the disease. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people age 60 and older. Read on for risk factors and what you can do to reduce your risk factors and protect your vision.

In healthy eyes, fluid is produced in the ciliary body, enters the eye and drains through tiny passages called the trabecular meshwork. If you have glaucoma, these passages become blocked and pressure in the eye rises.

What are the risk factors?

Risk factors for glaucoma include:

  • Ancestry is African American, Irish, Japanese, Hispanic, Russian, Inuit or Scandinavian descent
  • Over the age of 40
  • Family history of glaucoma
  • High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or sickle cell anemia
  • Poor vision
  • Eye injury
  • Corneas are thinner than usual
  • High eye pressure
  • Nearsighted or farsighted

 Can I prevent glaucoma?

 You can help slow the progress of glaucoma or detect it in its early stages by doing the following:

  • Get comprehensive eye exams. You should get one every 5-10 years if you’re younger than 40; every 2-4 years for those ages 40-54; everyone 1-3 years for those ages 55-64; and every 1-2 years for those 65 and older. If you’re at risk of glaucoma, you’ll need more frequent screening. Your doctor can recommend the right screening schedule for you.
  • Regular exercise can help prevent glaucoma by reducing eye pressure. Ask your doctor for recommendations.
  • Know your family health history. Glaucoma tends to run in families, so you may need more frequent screening if you are at increased risk.
  • Wear eye protection. Eye injuries can lead to eye conditions and diseases such as glaucoma, so protect your eyes when playing certain sports or using power tools.

 Glaucoma treatment

Some cases can be treated with medication. Other cases may require laser or traditional surgery to lower eye pressure.

Regular eye exams will help you stay on top of any eye conditions or diseases so you can address them at the earliest, most treatable stages. Call 808.955.3937 today to schedule an appointment at Maehara Eye Surgery & Laser.

Under Pressure: How to Treat Glaucoma With SLT

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glaucomaGlaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. By placing a high amount of pressure on your eyes, glaucoma can cause obscured vision and even blindness if left untreated. Luckily, Dr. Jeffrey Maehara has a variety of different treatment options for glaucoma. As one of the options that he likes to use most, Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty or SLT, targets specific eye cells to increase the fluid in your eye and reduce the pressure. Read on to learn more about SLT and whether or not it’s a viable option for you.

What Is SLT?

As previously mentioned, SLT targets eye cells to increase the fluid in your eye while simultaneously releasing pressure. Specifically, Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty’s unique laser system targets cells containing melanin, a natural pigment found in the eye.

What Is Recovery Like?

With any procedure, one of the scariest parts for a patient to think about is the recovery. Because SLT is a non-invasive, pain-free surgical procedure, the recovery should be fast and easy. During your recovery and depending on how your surgery has gone, you may be treated with anti-inflammatory eye drops.

What Are Results Like?

One of the best parts about SLT is that your eye pressure can drop in just a day or two following the procedure— leaving you with real results in virtually no time at all. Additionally, not only are your results fast, but they should also last. Although more pressure can build up in your eyes, it’s not as likely to occur when it’s taken care of early on.

Having glaucoma isn’t something you want to brag about. By causing pressure in your eyes, if left untreated, glaucoma can cause permanent eye damage. And, the worst part about glaucoma is that there isn’t a cure for it yet. Luckily, with treatments like SLT, you can prevent the symptoms from getting worse. If you would like to learn more about SLT or other treatments, contact Dr. Jeffrey Maehara today!