Glaucoma is an umbrella term for certain specific eye problems that cause pressure to build up inside your eyeball, which can damage delicate tissues near the rear of your eye. The majority of these disorders are progressive, meaning they worsen with time, and as they progress, they may eventually result in irreversible vision loss and blindness.
Glaucoma is the second largest cause of blindness globally, and that’s why learning that you have glaucoma or are at risk of this disease can be difficult to absorb! However, you should know that most varieties of glaucoma are curable, particularly when detected early, and with proper care and control, irreversible vision loss can be delayed or even permanently prevented.
Glaucoma is a type of eye problem that causes damage to the optic nerve, which can cause vision loss or blindness. The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain and is essential for your vision (optic nerve damage is frequently associated with elevated eye pressure). Glaucoma can develop at any age, although it is more frequent in elderly persons, and worldwide, it is one of the primary causes of blindness among adults over the age of sixty.
Many types of glaucoma provide no warning signals, and actually, the effect is so gradual that you may not notice a difference in your eyesight until the problem has already progressed. This is exactly why it is critical to get regular eye check ups that involve measuring your eye pressure. Remember, if glaucoma is detected early, visual loss can be delayed or avoided, but if you have glaucoma, you will require treatment or monitoring for the remainder of your life.
There are several types of glaucoma, so let’s take a look.
Glaucoma symptoms may not present in its early stages, as a result, up to half of all glaucoma patients remain unaware of their condition for a long time! Symptoms may not develop until the illness has caused permanent harm in many cases.
Some of the most prevalent glaucoma symptoms are:
You should be aware of the fact that some varieties of glaucoma, particularly angle closure glaucoma, can induce rapid and severe symptoms that need prompt medical intervention to avoid irreversible visual loss.
Emergency glaucoma symptoms include:
The fluid inside your eye, known as aqueous humor, generally drains out through a mesh-like tube, however, if this duct becomes clogged or the eye produces excessive fluid, the liquid then starts to accumulate. This is one of the most common glaucoma causes, but sometimes scientists don't even know what causes this obstruction!
A physical or chemical injury to the eye, serious eye infection, clogged blood vessels inside your eye, and inflammatory diseases are some of the less frequent glaucoma causes. Another thing is, eye surgery to treat another problem might sometimes trigger it, however, this situation is very uncommon.
In most cases, glaucoma treatment includes a combination of eyedrops, laser trabeculoplasty, and microsurgery. Doctors often start with drugs, however early laser surgery or microsurgery may be more effective for some patients! Here are the most common glaucoma treatment options used today.
1. Glaucoma Medications
2. Glaucoma Surgery
The risk of vision loss due to a disease such as glaucoma can be devastating for any person! Fortunately, if glaucoma is detected early, effective treatments can save your eyesight or delay vision loss! That is exactly why, the sooner you receive a diagnosis and begin treatment, the greater your chances of preventing the disease from progressing. Don’t ignore regular eye checkups, listen to your doctor, and if they prescribe additional tests, get those done without delay.