What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease that involves damage to the optic nerve and loss of peripheral vision. It is often associated with increased pressure inside the eye. If left untreated, it can cause permanent visual loss. Many individuals are unaware that they're glaucoma suspects because the disease is often asymptomatic at its early stages.
What are the risk factors?
Family history
Age (40+)
Diabetes
Ethnicity (ex: Japanese, Scandinavian)
Thin corneas
High myopia (severe nearsightedness)
History of eye injury
Use of corticosteroids
Suspicious optic nerve appearance
What causes it?
At the front of the eye, there is a space called the anterior chamber. In glaucoma, fluid often drains too slowly out of the eye causing the pressure to increase inside the eye. Average pressure is between 10-21 mmhg. Unless this pressure is controlled, it may damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss. Some people develop glaucoma even when the eye pressure is in the normal range.
What are the symptoms?
At first, Open-angle glaucoma has no noticeable symptoms, there is no change in vision and there is no pain or discomfort. As glaucoma progresses, people often notice that while they see things in front of them clearly, they cannot see objects to the side. Without treatment, people with glaucoma may find that they continue to lose peripheral vision and then central vision. Early detection of glaucoma is essential to slowing vision loss; therefore it is critical that you follow up with your health care provider on a routinely basis.
How is glaucoma treated?
Glaucoma can be treated with eye drops, pills, laser surgery, incisional surgery or a combination of these methods. The goal of any treatment is to slow loss of vision, as vision loss from glaucoma is irreversible.
How is glaucoma detected?
Regular eye examinations by your ophthalmologist are the best way to detect glaucoma. Your ophthalmologist will measure your eye pressure, inspect the drainage angle of your eye, evaluate your optic nerve (with an OCT scan) and test the visual field of each eye (with a visual field test).
How common is glaucoma?
Worldwide, glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness, but only half of those people know they have it. In fact, as many as 6 million individuals are blind in both eyes from this disease.
How can you protect your vision?
If you are being treated for glaucoma, it is very important that you take your glaucoma medicine daily and see your eye care professional regularly. Encourage "high risk" family members to have an eye examination every year to evaluate their risk for glaucoma.
Diagnosing glaucoma is like assembling a puzzle; There are several tests that must be fit together just right to arrive at the correct diagnosis and treatment plan.