Interesting Facts About Glaucoma

Glaucoma is where damage occurs to the optic nerve. This is the nerve bundle that connects the eye to the brain. Damage occurs when fluid in the eye cannot circulate normally through the eye. The blockage in circulation happens around the iris of the eye. This causes an increase in fluid pressure. The pressure squeezes the optic nerve and damages it. Glaucoma is a common condition occurring as you age and a leading cause of blindness for people over 60.

Symptoms

• Glaucoma has no symptoms in the beginning. As it progresses, there is a loss of peripheral vision, blurriness and halos appear around lights. Other symptoms include headaches, sensitivity to light, tearing, redness, pain in the eye and facial soreness.

Risk Factors

• Family history and being over the age of 40 can put you in a higher-risk category for developing glaucoma. Other factors are eye injury, mutation in the myocilin gene, cataracts, eye tumors, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, use of anticholinergic medication or steroid-medication usage.

Types

• There are five different types of glaucoma. Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common. It is a chronic condition caused by the partial blockage of fluid circulation in the eye. Normal-tension glaucoma has normal pressure of fluids but the blood supply is restricted by another medical condition. Closed-angle glaucoma is an acute condition. This medical emergency requires immediate treatment to prevent blindness. Secondary glaucoma is a complication of an eye injury or a chronic disease like diabetes. Congenital glaucoma is a birth defect that is usually discovered before the baby turns a year old.

Prevention

• There is no real way to prevent glaucoma. You can reduce the risk of developing secondary glaucoma. Always protect your eyes from injury, take steps to prevent high-blood pressure and control diabetes. Schedule regular eye exams to check for glaucoma.

Diagnosis

• Eye exams are important in the diagnosis of glaucoma. An ophthalmoscope is used to look at the optic nerve. A slit-lamp is used to examine the front of the eyes. The most valuable test is performed with a tonometry. This instrument measures pressure in the eye. A high-pressure reading is the normal indication of glaucoma.