Glaucoma Screening Test GST from Haag Streit

A glaucoma is a group of harmful eye conditions wherein the optic nerves, which connect the eyes to the brain, get damaged. This is usually caused by fluid pressure building up to the front part of the eyes.

Glaucoma can lead to vision loss if not diagnosed and treated early. Anyone of the can gets glaucoma as early as 20 years of age. Damages caused by Glaucoma are irreversible. However, routine checkups and treatment can help slow or prevent loss of vision, especially when diagnosed in its early stages. Nowadays, it is easier to check yourself and others for Glaucoma, especially with the new Glaucoma Screening Test GST from Haag Streit.

The Octopus 600 can distinguish between normal and abnormal visual fields in less than one minute. The test is purely qualitative and distinguishes between normal and abnormal visual fields by presenting stimuli three times at a brightness that patients with normal vision should see. If not seen, then the visual field is flagged as abnormal with high reliability and the patient can be further tested. Because the test is efficient, it opens doors for more routine visual field testing to ensure no pathology goes undetected.

The patient-friendly Pulsar stimulus has been developed for early glaucoma detection and shows a short learning curve and low test-retest variability. It is recommended to get a baseline eye screening at age 40, as this is when early signs of eye disease and changes in vision may start to occur. Your ophthalmologist (eye doctor) will tell you how often to have follow-up exams based on the results of this screening.