In this post we will be looking at what Glaucoma is, causes of Glaucoma, Glaucoma Risk Factors, types, symptoms, diagnosis of Glaucoma and the prevention.
INTRODUCTION
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve. The optic nerve sends visual information from your eye to your brain and is vital for good vision. Damage to the optic nerve is often related to high pressure in your eye. But glaucoma can happen even with normal eye pressure. Glaucoma can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. It is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60. Many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs.
The effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is in its later stages. It’s important to have regular eye exams that include measurements of your eye pressure. If glaucoma is recognized early, vision loss can be slowed or prevented. If you have glaucoma, you’ll need treatment or monitoring for the rest of your life. Most people with glaucoma have no early symptoms or pain. Visit your eye doctor regularly so they can diagnose and treat glaucoma before you have long-term vision loss. If you lose vision, it can’t be brought back, but lowering eye pressure can help you keep the sight you have.
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Most people with glaucoma who follow their treatment plan and have regular eye exams are able to keep their vision. Most people develop glaucoma in both eyes, although the disease initially may be worse in one eye. With open-angle glaucoma, one eye may have moderate or severe damage, while the other eye may be mildly affected. People with closed-angle glaucoma in one eye have a 40% to 80% chance of developing the same type of glaucoma in the other eye within five to 10 years.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition that damages your eye’s optic nerve, and it gets worse over time. It’s often linked to a buildup of pressure inside your eye. Glaucoma tends to run in families. You usually don’t get it until later in life. The increased pressure in your eye, called intraocular pressure, can damage your optic nerve that sends images to your brain. If the damage worsens, glaucoma can cause permanent vision loss or even total blindness within a few years.
Glaucoma is a general term used to describe a group of eye disorders that damage your optic nerve. It’s the most common form of optic nerve damage leading to vision loss. In most cases, fluid builds up in the front part of your eye. This extra fluid puts pressure on your eye, gradually damaging your optic nerve. The name of this pressure is intraocular pressure (IOP), or eye pressure. Some people have normal eye pressure and still get glaucoma. Untreated glaucoma or poorly managed glaucoma can lead to permanent and irreversible vision loss and blindness.
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Causes Of Glaucoma
Glaucoma can occur without any cause, but many factors can affect it. The most important of these factors is intraocular eye pressure. Your eyes produce a fluid called aqueous humor that nourishes them. This liquid flows through your pupil to the front of your eye. In a healthy eye, the fluid leaves through the drainage canals located between your iris and cornea. With glaucoma, the resistance increases in your drainage canals. The fluid has nowhere to go, so it builds up in your eye. This excess fluid puts pressure on your eye. Eventually, this elevated eye pressure can damage your optic nerve and lead to glaucoma.
Types Of Glaucoma
There are two main types of Glaucoma:
- Open-angle glaucoma. This is the most common type. Your doctor may also call it wide-angle glaucoma. The drain structure in your eye (called the trabecular meshwork) looks fine, but fluid doesn’t flow out like it should.
- Angle-closure glaucoma. This is more common in Asia. It is also called acute or chronic angle-closure or narrow-angle glaucoma. Your eye doesn’t drain like it should because the drain space between your iris and cornea becomes too narrow. This can cause a sudden buildup of pressure in your eye. It’s also linked to farsightedness and cataracts—a clouding of the lens inside your eye.
Less common types of glaucoma include:
Secondary glaucoma. This is when another condition, such as cataracts or diabetes, causes added pressure in your eye. Inflammation inside your eye (your doctor will call this uveitis) can cause you to see halos. Bright lights might bother your eyes (you’ll hear your doctor call this light sensitivity or photophobia).
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Normal-tension glaucoma. This is when you have blind spots in your vision or your optic nerve is damaged although your eye pressure is within the average range. Some experts say it’s a form of open-angle glaucoma.
Pigmentary glaucoma. With this form, tiny bits of pigment from your iris (the colored part of your eye) get into the fluid inside your eye and clog the drainage canals.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
Most people with open-angle glaucoma don’t have symptoms. If symptoms do develop, they are usually late in the disease. That’s why glaucoma is often called the “sneak thief of vision.” The main sign is usually loss of side, or peripheral, vision. Symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma usually come on faster and are more obvious. Damage can occur quickly. If you have any of these symptoms, get medical care right away:
- Seeing halos around lights
- Vision loss
- Redness in your eye
- Eye that looks hazy (particularly in infants)
- Upset stomach or vomiting
- Eye pain
Acute closed- or narrow-angle glaucoma. People often describe this as “the worst eye pain of my life.” Symptoms strike quickly:
- Severe throbbing eye pain
- Eye redness
- Headaches (on the same side as the affected eye)
- Blurry or foggy vision
- Halos around lights
- Dilated pupil
- Nausea and vomiting
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This type of glaucoma is a medical emergency. See an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) or go to an emergency room immediately. Damage to the optic nerve may begin within a few hours, and if not treated within 6 to 12 hours, it may bring very serious, permanent loss of vision or blindness and even a permanently enlarged (dilated) pupil.
Glaucoma Risk Factors
Glaucoma can affect anyone, but the risk increases with age. People who are Black and Hispanic are much more likely to get glaucoma than other ethnic groups, and they tend to develop the disease earlier in life. Asian and Inuit populations are also more susceptible to a specific form of glaucoma known as angle-closure glaucoma or closed-angle glaucoma. People with diabetes are twice as likely to get glaucoma. Other risk factors include:
- Family history of glaucoma.
- Farsightedness or hyperopia (for closed-angle glaucoma).
- High blood pressure (hypertension and very low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Long-term use of corticosteroids.
- Nearsightedness or myopia (for open-angle glaucoma).
- Previous eye injury or surgery.
Diagnosis of Glaucoma
It’s possible to have glaucoma and not know it. Regular eye exams are important to catch glaucoma or other eye problems. Eye exams can assess optic health and vision loss. To check for glaucoma, an eye doctor may do one or more of these painless tests:
- Dilated eye exam to widen pupils and view your optic nerve at the back of your eyes.
- Gonioscopy to examine the angle where your iris and cornea meet.
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT) to look for changes in your optic nerve that may indicate glaucoma.
- Ocular pressure test (tonometry) to measure eye pressure.
- Pachymetry to measure corneal thickness.
- Slit-lamp exam to examine the inside of your eye with a special microscope called a slit lamp.
- Visual acuity test (eye charts) to check for vision loss.
- Visual field test (perimetry) to check for changes in peripheral vision (your ability to see things off to the side).
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Prevention Of Glaucoma
Early detection of glaucoma through routine eye exams is the best way to protect eye health and prevent vision loss. Glaucoma testing should occur every:
- Get regular eye examinations. Regular comprehensive eye exams can help detect glaucoma in its early stages, before significant damage occurs. As a general rule, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a comprehensive eye exam every 5 to 10 years if you’re under 40 years old; every 2 to 4 years if you’re 40 to 54 years old; every 1 to 3 years if you’re 55 to 64 years old; and every 1 to 2 years if you’re older than 65. If you’re at risk of glaucoma, you’ll need more frequent screening. Ask your health care provider to recommend the right screening schedule for you.
- Know your family’s eye health history. Glaucoma tends to run in families. If you’re at increased risk, you may need more frequent screening.
- Wear eye protection. Serious eye injuries can lead to glaucoma. Wear eye protection when using power tools or playing sports.
- Take prescribed eye drops regularly. Glaucoma eye drops can significantly reduce the risk that high eye pressure will progress to glaucoma. Use eye drops as prescribed by your health care provider even if you have no symptoms.