Glaucoma - Basic Glaucoma Information |
| Written by Clif Haley & Dr. Dhavid Cooper |
 Glaucoma is one of a group of eye disorders involving the optic nerve, and is often associated with an unsafe build-up of intraocular pressure (IOP) on the nerve, which can cause serious damage. Left untreated, glaucoma can lead from a noticeable loss of peripheral vision to complete blindness. Following cataracts, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States. Around half of the 2.5 million Americans with glaucoma will experience at least some vision loss. Symptoms Because it typically yields no symptoms and causes no pain, glaucoma is often referred to as the “silent thief of sight” going undetected for long periods. As a result it often progresses unchecked until the optic nerve suffers irreversible damage. In many cases the disease is not detected until the patient has already suffered some loss of vision. However, with acute angle-closure glaucoma there can be a few sudden symptoms such as blurred vision, halos around lights, intense eye pain, nausea and vomiting. Anyone experiencing this mix of symptoms should immediately consult their optometrist or ophthalmologist, or visit an emergency room to avoid permanent loss of vision. Types of Glaucoma Primary open-angle glaucoma – progresses slowly and often goes undetected until serious eye damage is afflicted. The high IOP caused by POAG results in loss of peripheral vision eventually leading to tunnel vision. Normal-tension glaucoma – is similar to POAG and causes damage to the optic nerve, but the IOP remains low. Doctors are unsure what causes normal-tension glaucoma but suspect it has something to do with poor blood flow to the optic nerve. Pigmentary glaucoma – is a rare form of glaucoma caused by pigment deposits from the iris that clog the draining angles and prevent aqueous humor from leaving the eye. Eventually the body’s inflammatory response to the blockage damages the drainage system. As with other forms of glaucoma, there are generally no symptoms. Angle-closure glaucoma - is unique in causing sudden symptoms such as eye pain, headaches, halos around lights, nausea, vomiting and vision loss. The symptoms may come in waves, or attacks, that last several hours and then subside. Each wave carries away part of your field of vision. Secondary glaucoma – is triggered by a preceding event such as an eye injury or infection. Congenital glaucoma – is present at birth and around 80 percent of cases are diagnosed by age one. Because children so young cannot communicate, it is hard to detect signs of congenital glaucoma. Treatment Depending on its severity and how far the disease has progressed, treatment could involve surgery or lasers but, in most cases, medicated eye drops are the first step. However, because glaucoma is relatively painless, people run the risk of becoming lax in maintaining their treatments, and failing to stick to prescribed glaucoma treatment is a leading reason for glaucoma causing blindness. Related Articles:
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