Glaucoma Symptoms, Treatment, and Causes
The World is Bright, Save your Sight with the Best Treatment for Glaucoma
Glaucoma can affect adults with normal eye pressure. Glaucoma can cause permanent vision loss and blindness if it is not treated or managed properly. Glaucoma is a prevalent age-related eye condition that affects about three million people in the United States. After cataracts, it is the world’s second-biggest cause of blindness.
But, to begin with, let’s understand
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a phrase that refers to a set of eye diseases that affect the optic nerve. It’s the most common cause of vision loss due to damage to the optic nerve. Fluid collects in the front of the eye in the majority of instances. This additional fluid exerts pressure on the eye, causing the optic nerve to deteriorate over time. Intraocular pressure (IOP), often known as eye pressure, is the name given to this pressure.
What is the optic nerve?
The optic nerve is an important part of your vision. It delivers messages to the brain from the retina (nervous tissue in the back of the eye, similar to film in an old camera). These messages are used by your brain to produce visuals.
Types of Glaucoma
1) Open-angle:
This is the most frequent kind, affecting up to 90% of glaucoma sufferers in the United States. It occurs when tiny deposits accumulate in the eye’s drainage ducts, progressively clogging them. The canals appear to be open and functioning properly. The deposits, however, accumulate over months or years, causing fluid to build up and putting pressure on the optic nerve. Because most people don’t have symptoms, the condition might go unnoticed for years.
2) Closed-angle:
Angle-closure glaucoma, also known as narrow-angle glaucoma, is an uncommon kind of glaucoma that develops suddenly (acute). When the angle between the iris (the colored region of the eye that controls light exposure) and the cornea (the clear outer layer of the eye) is excessively narrow, it causes this condition. As a result, the drainage canals get clogged, preventing aqueous fluid from leaving the eye and resulting in a sharp increase in eye pressure. Eye pain and headaches are common symptoms that require medical attention right once.
3) Congenital:
Some newborns are born with improperly formed drainage tubes in the pregnancy. A baby’s glaucoma symptoms may be noticed by your healthcare professional at birth. Alternatively, indications may appear during childhood. Childhood, infantile, or paediatric glaucoma are all terms used to describe this illness.
4) Normal Tension:
Even when eye pressure is normal or not particularly high, one out of every three people has optic nerve injury. The cause of normal-tension glaucoma, also known as normal-pressure or low-tension glaucoma, is unknown. Asians and Asian Americans are more likely to have this kind.
Now, let’s see some Glaucoma symptoms and treatment:
Symptoms for Glaucoma:
Glaucoma is caused due to damage to the optic nerve. When time passes this nerve deteriorates so eventually it develops a blind spot in vision.
It generally happens due to increased pressure in the eyes. An accumulation of a fluid (aqueous humor) that circulates across the inside of your eye causes increased eye pressure. At the angle at which the iris and cornea meet, this internal fluid generally drains out via a tissue called the trabecular meshwork. When fluid is produced in excess of the drainage mechanism fails, the fluid cannot flow out at its standard price, causing increased ocular pressure.
Glaucoma is a disease that runs in families. Scientists have discovered genes linked to excessive pressure in the eye and optic nerve injury in some people.
Some of the main Symptoms of Glaucoma
- Eye pain or pressure.
- Headache on the same side of the affected eye.
- Lights with rainbow-colored halos around them.
- Vision problems, blurred vision, tunnel vision, or blind patches are all symptoms of low vision.
- Nausea and vomiting are common side effects.
- Eyes that are bright red.
- A vision that is hazy or foggy.
- Pupil dilation
Glaucoma of this type is a medical emergency. Consult an ophthalmologist or proceed to the nearest emergency room right away. Damage to the optic nerve can occur in as little as a few hours and, if not treated within 6 to 12 hours, can result in irreversible vision loss or blindness, as well as a permanently dilated pupil.
How to Prevent Glaucoma?
It’s possible to have glaucoma and be completely unaware of it. Glaucoma and other eye diseases can be caught early with regular eye exams. Exams of the eyes can detect problems with the optic nerve and vision loss.
Your eye doctor may do one or more of the following painless tests to check for glaucoma:
1) Exam with dilated pupils to see the optic nerve at the back of the eyes.
2) Using gonioscopy, the angle where the iris and cornea meet is studied.
3) Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is used to search for glaucoma-related alterations in the optic nerve.
4) To assess eye pressure, an ocular pressure test (tonometry) is performed.
5) Pachymetry is a technique for determining corneal thickness.
6) Slit-lamp examination uses a special microscope called a slit lamp to examine the inside of the eye.
7) To check for vision loss, a visual acuity test (eye charts) is used.
8) Perimetry is a visual field test that is used to assess changes in peripheral vision (your ability to see things off to the side).
9) Moderate exercise will also prevent glaucoma, as it reduces eye pressure on the eyes and makes them more relaxed. Consult with your doctor for appropriate exercise as per your glaucoma stage.
10) You should be aware of your family’s eye health history. Glaucoma is a disease that runs in families. If you’re at a higher risk, you may have to be screened more frequently.
11) Take eye drops as directed on a daily basis. Glaucoma eye drops can dramatically lower the risk of glaucoma developing from excessive eye pressure. Even if you don’t have any symptoms, eye drops prescribed by the doctor must be used on a constant basis to be effective.
12) Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses. Glaucoma can develop as a result of severe eye damage. When utilizing power tools or playing at high racquet activities in restricted courts, wear safety glasses.
What is the best way to manage or treat glaucoma?
Glaucoma that is left untreated can lead to permanent visual loss or blindness. Treatments can help to prevent further vision loss, but they won’t be able to restore vision that has already been lost. If you are experiencing eye pain, severe headaches, or vision problems, you should see an eye doctor very once.
Treatments for Glaucoma include:
- Eye Drops /Medication: Prescription eye drops decrease fluids and increase drainage to alleviate eye pressure. This problem can be treated with a wide range of eyedrop drugs. Because glaucoma is a lifelong condition, you may need to use daily eye drops for life.
- Laser treatment: Your eye doctor uses a laser (a strong beam of light) to help improve fluid drainage from your eye. While the laser can supplement the usage of eye drops, it is unlikely to fully replace them. Laser treatments have a wide range of outcomes, although they can endure up to five years. Some laser treatments can be done more than once.
- Surgery: Another option for lowering ocular pressure is surgery. It is more invasive but can also achieve better eye pressure control faster than drops or lasers. Surgery can help delay the loss of eyesight, but it cannot cure glaucoma or restore lost vision. There are many types of surgeries for glaucoma, and depending on the specific type and severity, your eye doctor may choose one over another.
Let’s look at some Risk factors for Glaucoma:
- Intense pressure on eyes.
- Have an age above 60 years.
- Being dark, Asians or Hispanics has its advantages and disadvantages.
- Generic glaucoma or has a history of glaucoma.
- Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and sickle cell anemia are examples of medical conditions.
- Cornea which is thin at the center.
- Have a vision of extremely nearsightedness or farsightedness.
- Got an eye surgery or some injury to the eye.
- Long-term use of corticosteroid medicines, particularly eye drops.
- In children, glaucoma is by birth or gets developed by the next few years most probably.
What does glaucoma vision look like?
It has been proven that people with glaucoma vision have some blurry vision, they need sufficient light to see, they see a glaring picture, they won’t be able to differentiate color contrast and they have peripheral vision.
Glaucoma treatment is tough but possible:
There are many people who are suffering from glaucoma so spread this blog to those who need it and if you’re one of them then I am pretty sure that these symptoms, treatment, and information will help you a lot to fight against glaucoma.
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