Glaucoma: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes, Types & Treatment

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.  

What is Glaucoma? 

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. 

Types of Glaucoma 

There are several types of glaucoma, so let’s take a look.  

• Open-angle glaucoma - Open-angle glaucoma is the most prevalent kind of glaucoma which is caused by destruction to the filter in the eye's drainage canals. 
• Angle-closure glaucoma - Angle-closure glaucoma is caused by a fast obstruction of the eye's drainage canals as a result of a closed or small angle between the iris and cornea where the filter is placed. 
• Low-tension or normal-tension glaucoma - Low-tension or normal-tension glaucoma is a kind of glaucoma in which the optic nerve is damaged, but the eye pressure remains within the normal range. 
• Congenital glaucoma - Infant glaucoma is caused by faulty or undeveloped drainage channels in the eye during the perinatal period of the pregnancy. 
• Uveitic (inflammatory) glaucoma - This is caused by autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses. 
• Neovascular glaucoma - Neovascular glaucoma is a kind of glaucoma that is linked to poorly managed diabetes and other disorders that cause damage to the body's blood vessels. 

What are the Common Symptoms of Glaucoma? 

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: 

• Eye discomfort or pressure  
• Red or bloodshot eyes 
• Headaches 
• Gradually increasing poor eyesight 
• Blind spots (scotomas) 
• Tunnel vision 
• Double vision (diplopia) 
• Blurred vision  

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:  

• Bulging or swollen eyes 
• Rainbow-colored halo surrounding lights 
• Blood gathered in front of your eye (hyphema) 
• Flashing lights (photopsia) 
• Sudden eyesight loss of any type 
• Nausea and vomiting associated with ocular discomfort or pressure   

Glaucoma Causes 

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.   

What are the Glaucoma Treatment Options?  

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 

• Glaucoma Eyedrops - These either reduce the amount of fluid in your eyes or enhance its flow to decrease ocular pressure. However, side effects may include allergies, redness, stinging, impaired vision, and irritated eyes, so be careful of those. Because of the possibility of drug interactions, you must inform your doctor of any other medical conditions you have or drugs you are taking, so that they may be able to modify your therapy. 
• Oral medications - Your doctor may also prescribe oral medications, such as a beta-blocker or carbonic anhydrase inhibitor for you, since these medications can enhance drainage or delay the production of fluid in your eyes. 

2. Glaucoma Surgery 

• Laser surgery - If you have open-angle glaucoma, this surgery may help to enhance the flow of fluid from your eye, and it can also prevent fluid obstruction in angle-closure glaucoma. The procedures include Trabeculoplasty (opens up the drainage area), Iridotomy (creates a tiny hole in your iris, allowing fluid to flow more freely), and Cyclophotocoagulation (targets parts of the central layer of your eye to reduce fluid production). 
• Microsurgery - This is another common glaucoma treatment where your doctor performs a trabeculectomy, which involves creating a new channel to drain fluid and relieve eye strain. Your doctor may insert a tube to assist drain fluid! Remember, this type of surgery may need to be performed more than once.   
• Minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries - This is a newer, less invasive type of surgery that generally involves small incisions and employs modern nano gadgets. It is often quicker and safer, although it does not reduce pressure as significantly as other techniques! Usually, this technique can be performed concurrently with other operations, such as cataract surgery.  

Final Remarks 

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.