pseudoexfoliation glaucoma treatment

[Elvee]

At my annual physical checkup in February/March, air puff tonometry showed that my right eye IOP was high, and my family dr. recommended that I get my eyes checked. The optometrist confirmed that the IOP was high, (34 mm Hg), saw that I have pseudoexfoliation and found some deterioration in my right eye field of view. She referred me to an opthalmologist (who specializes in Glaucoma) and the earliest I could get to see him was first week of May (still 3 weeks away). After reading up on pseudoexfoliation & glaucoma, (and since there is a little pain in/above my right eye), I felt it important to start treatment right away. The optometrist decided not to start treatment, since she felt it important that the opthalmologist establish a baseline before treatment is started. I can understand the logic in that, but I also think that treatment should have been started as soon as possible (and the feeling in and above my right eye is definitely very uncomfortable). Is the optometrist correct, or should I push harder to get treatment started right away?

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

3 weeks will not make a difference.  It seem you have already had this problem for awhile since your have some visual field loss.

Dr. O.

[cwatt1]

I can understand your optometrist's point of view.  Not being an M.D. she probably is quite reluctant to possibly overstep her bounds.  I would suggest that, even though you can't get in to see the ophthalmologist for 3 more weeks, you call and explain the situation to him/her and see if you can't get some initial direction over the phone.