What is the puff test all about?

Why blow air in your eyes?  Besides pure enjoyment on our part to watch patients jump???  The glaucoma test (puff test) is an extremely value part of your complete eye exam.  The tonometer (the device) will measure the pressure of your eye with either air or physical touch.  Either can attain a very important measurement that will allow us to determine if you are a glaucoma patient, suspect or glaucoma free.  

The non-contact tonometer (the puff) blows a small amount of air into your eyes without the use of anesthetic drops.  It doesn't cause any pain whatsoever, however patient will retract a bit because your human instant is to protect the surface of the eye...even from harmless air.  The contact tonometer does touch your eye, a drop is inserted moments beforehand to numb the surface so that a measure can be obtained.  This is even less bothersome in my opinion, unless you don't like drops.  They both do an excellent job in retrieving the information that only an eye doctor can attain, the pressure of your eye.  Think back to all your visits with your medical physicians, do they ever measure this?  Never right!  And yet it's one of the most important measurements we need to prevent blindness.  Know your pressure! 

The disease we are looking for is called glaucoma.  It's a vision threatening disease that can occur in any population, most commonly over the age 40.  Our only known pattern of glaucoma is it's higher prevalence in the black and asian community.  This disease can literally rob you of your peripheral (side) vision within years, leaving you with tunnel vision that can eventually lead to blindness.  It's a scary reality because the eye will appear completely white with no discomfort or symptoms to alert you, hence the importance of prevention by early screening.  The silver lining is that there is treatment for glaucoma, most times it's a drop once a day or potential surgery that can be done in the Ophthalmology (eye surgeons) chair.  The lesson here is to have a complete eye exam every year with the glaucoma test, even if your vision is perfect the pressure must be checked.  We need to rule out any potential danger to the vision and teach our patients to have long lasting health in their visual system.  

See and Be Seen! at Eyed LA Optometry in Brentwood, West Los Angeles

www.eyedla.com