Glaucoma 

  • Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world.
  • 1 in 200 adults aged 50 and older have glaucoma.
  • 1 in 10 adults aged 80 and older have glaucoma.
  • People with an African-American descent, medical conditions like diabetes, or with a family history are at a higher risk and can contract the disease at an earlier age.
  • If you are over the age of 40, you should have an eye exam at least once every five years. If you are at a higher risk, you should have an eye exam once a year.

Aqueous humor is a fluid that that flows between your cornea and the iris of your eye. Among other things, this fluid maintains the intraocular pressure of your eye and provides essential nutrients to the eye. This fluid leaves the eye from a mesh-like canal, but when the canal is blocked or damaged, the fluid begins to build up and cause pressure within the eye. This pressure doesn’t happen quickly so it is usually only detected when the disease has moderately advanced.

Blindness occurs when glaucoma damages your optic nerve – the nerve that transmits images from your eye to your brain. Left untreated, if glaucoma causes this damage, it cannot be undone.

Traditionally, patients suffering from glaucoma have the disease because they inherited it. However, injury (chemical or physical) to the eye, blockage of blood vessels, certain medical conditions, or even severe eye infection can sometimes cause glaucoma.

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Types of Glaucoma

  1. Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma
  2. Angle-Closure Glaucoma
  3. Primary Congenital Glaucoma

Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

When your eye’s drainage canals are gradually blocked over time, which prevents aqueous humor from leaving the eye, you are suffering from primary open-angle glaucoma. About three million Americans suffer from this type of glaucoma, making it the most common form of this disease. This form usually responds well to medication if treated early.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma

When the physical structure of your eye is changed, the drainage canals can become suddenly blocked or pinched. Angle-closure glaucoma happens rather quickly. Symptoms range from headaches, eye pain, nausea, blurred or cloudy vision, red eye, or even feeling as if your eye is swollen. These symptoms can be severe and need to be treated right away.

Primary Congenital Glaucoma

This form of glaucoma is present at birth and usually diagnosed within the first year of life. It occurs when the drainage canals are not properly formed. Surgical treatment is painless to the patient and will be performed when the patient is sleeping.

 

Treatment of Glaucoma

Early diagnosis is the key in treating glaucoma. There is no known cure but there are options in preventing the loss of eyesight.

Medications

Pills and eye drops can be used to treat primary open-angle glaucoma. These are used to treat the pressure in the eye and although they won’t fully cure the patient, they can be used successfully to help the patient retain their vision. Drops and pills can also be used for angle-closure glaucoma, in addition to medicine that may be administered through an IV. This will lower the pressure immediately.

Laser Treatment

Lasers can be used on glaucoma patients as a gentle way of opening up the drainage canals. This process is called an iridotomy – opening a new canal for drainage to relieve pressure.

Surgery

If the patient isn’t a candidate for laser surgery, then a traditional surgery called filtering microsurgery may be recommended. During filtering microsurgery, the surgeon will create a very tiny new drainage canal to allow the fluid to bypass the original canals and drain through the new canal. This process may be repeated if necessary and can be completed multiple times without substantial risk.

If you suspect you may have glaucoma, seek the consult of a physician immediately. If your family has a history of glaucoma, please schedule regular check-ups.