Being as nearsighted as ur sister is is a risk factor for glaucoma. Other risk factors include a family history of glaucoma, having diabetes, & African-Americans.
Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. There r 2 kinds of glaucoma. About 10% of people with glaucoma have what is called narrow angle glaucoma. This is most common is people who r nearsighted (hyperopic) because their eyes r so small. People who r nearsighted & develop cataracts r also at risk for this type of glaucoma. What happens is the fluid in our eye can not drain normally because the drainage channels r really narrow & may get plugged up. A person having a narrow angle glaucoma attack will have an extremely high eye pressure reading (called IOP for intraocular pressure), a read & painful eye, & will experience nausea & possibly vomiting. If this is not treated immediately with a laser procedure, the person will go blind. This type of glaucoma can be cured by the same laser procedure before an attack happens.
90% of people with glaucoma have the type of glaucoma ur sister is being checked for. It is called primary open angle glaucoma or chronic open angle glaucoma. Being a glaucoma suspect means that ur sister probably has an abnormally high eye pressure reading & her optic nerves look suspicous for glaucoma, but there is no damage yet. A normal eye pressure reading is anything under 21 - the average reading is 17. The only way the optometrist would know if ur sister has suspicous looking optic nerves is if ur sister had her eyes dilated with eyedrops. Otherwise, the doctor would not have been able to see the back of her eye to check.
There r no early symptoms to let the patient know that something is wrong. Glaucoma damages our peripheral side vision first & then works its way in to damage our central vision. The damage is not immediate - it happens over a period of several years. 90% of patients diagnosed with glaucoma were diagnosed during their eye exam when they were not having any eye or vision problems.
When ur sister sees the ophthalmologist she should have her eyes dilated, have a visual field test to check her side vision, & a pachymeter reading to check the thickness of her cornea. The dilation & visual field test usually r not done in the same appointment because ur eyes can not be dilated during the test. Thin corneas mean the pressure reading is probably higher than what is measured. Thick corneas mean the pressure reading is probably lower than what is measured. The ophthalmologist could decide that ur sister just needs to be watched & have appointments every 6 months to a year. Worst case scenario she will be put on eyedrops that will lower her eye pressure to a normal level. Once she starts the eyedrops, she will have to use them for life. In extreme cases, eyedrops alone r not enough to treat glaucoma so the patient needs to have either a laser procedure or actual surgery to insert a special drain in her eye.
For now ur sister should be seeing an ophthalmologist for all of these tests. An ophthalmologist is an actual medical doctor who is received training to recognize when a patient has or is at risk for glaucoma & has the ability to treat it with eyedrops, lasers, or surgery. Optometrists just recently received the ok to prescribe eyedrops to treat glaucoma & can not perform laser or surgical procedures for glaucoma or anything else.
Go with ur sister to her appointments. Two pairs of ears r always better than 1. Write down any questions & concerns u have. Make sure the doctor explains everything so u can understand & do not leave the appointment until all of ur questions have been answered. Try not to worry. Glaucoma is treatable. It is important that patients follow their eyedrops schedule & keep regular appointments.