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DOC, if I have glaucoma does that mean I will go blind.
Doc, my father had glaucoma and he went blind, before he died. Will I go blind also?
Doc, can glaucoma be cured?
Doc, my elder brother has glaucoma and he is gradually going blind? What is my fate?
Doc, can glaucoma be prevented?
Doc, does glaucoma run in the family?
Doc, is glaucoma hereditary?
Doc, was there ever anyone with glaucoma who did not go blind?
Etc etc
One in every four persons is likely to get glaucoma.
It is said that glaucoma starts manifesting seriously from the age of 50. A study in Harvard University has put a lie to that assertion. It could occur much earlier.
It has always been worrisome for medical practitioners to define glaucoma.
Glaucoma in a simple term is the eye disorder that affects the optic nerve of the eye which receives impulses from the retina and transmits to the brain.
It is mainly caused by the high pressure in your eyes. Some doctors euphemistically call glaucoma – hypertension of the eye. This condition is called ocular hypertension. If this condition is not treated, at first, loss of peripheral vision will occur and finally, it leads to complete blindness.
Sometimes glaucoma may occur due to normal pressure in the eye; this is caused by the poor blood supply to the optic nerves.
Mostly, glaucoma has no symptoms, but as the day goes by, you may notice symptoms when the disease is at an advanced stage.
So it is important to have regular eye check, including pressure measurement of the eye.
The history of glaucoma could be traced to the Greeks who recognised the group of disorders of the eye in 400 BC and called it “Glaucosis” or “bluish green hue of the eye”.
The Arabians writing in 10th Century mentioned Intra-ocular Pressure (10P) as the active genesis of eye disorder.
In 19th Century Scientific researchers, recognised glaucoma as a distinct eye disorder.
Prevalence of glaucoma hovers around the ages of 40 to 80. In 2013 the number of people aged between 40 to 80 with glaucoma world wide was estimated at 64.3 million by WHO.
Increasing to 76.0 million in 2020 and will cap 111.8 million in 2040.
Men are more likely to have glaucoma than women.
There are different types of glaucoma. Your doctor will determine which type you have. They include primary open – angle glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma, angle closure glaucoma and pigmentary glaucoma.
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The risk factors in glaucoma include, people above the age of 45, family history/hereditary glaucoma, people with increased intra-ocular pressure, medical conditions such as myopia, diabetes, hyperopia, previous eye injury and long term use of corticosteroids.
As I stated earlier glaucoma initially has no symptoms as it progresses, it manifests severe eye pain, blurred vision cloudy eye, tunnel vision, persistent headache, nausea, rainbow coloured halo around lights.
One of the major complications of glaucoma is vision loss, hence you have to consult your ophthalmologist as early as possible for remediation.
Again if you find driving difficult especially at night. Bleeding and infection of the eyes. Please consult your doctor.
It was found that some types of glaucoma, particularly angle closure glaucoma, can cause sudden severe symptoms, that need immediate medical attention to prevent permanent vision loss.
Emergency symptoms include – blood gathering in front of your iris (hyphema), bulging or enlarged eye ball (bophthalmos), nausea and vomiting accompanying the eye pain and pressure, as said earlier, around lights, sudden appearance or increase in floaters (myodesopsias). Sudden vision loss of any kind. Or suddenly seeing flashing lights (photopsias) in your vision.
Glaucoma is caused by damage to your optic nerve. Your eyes produce a fluid called “aqueous humor” that nourishes them. This liquid flows through your pupil to the front of your eye. In a healthy eye the fluid drains through mesh like canals (trabecular mesh work), which is where your iris and cornea come together at an angle.
With glaucoma the resistance increases in your drainage canals. The fluid has nowhere to go so it builds up in your eye. The excess fluid puts pressure on your eye. Eventually this elevated eye pressure can damage your optic nerve and lead the glaucoma. What makes the fluid buildup can vary depending on the overall type of glaucoma you have.
An eye care specialist can diagnose glaucoma using an eye examination. Many of the test involve pupil dilation (mydriasis) some of the most helpful glaucoma tests include – visual acuity testing, visual field testing, depth perception testing, tonometry, tachymetry slit lamp exam & Goioscopy.
If your eye care specialist has a reason to suspect damage to your retina and/or optic nerve they may also use additional types of eye imaging. These include, optical coherence tomography, fluorescent angiography, ultrasound, less commonly computed tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI)
The top priority for treating glaucoma is to keep it from getting worse by lowering the pressure inside your eye (intra ocular pressure) .
Some of the most likely treatments. Medications – this mainly involves medications that lower pressure inside your eye. They can prevent glaucoma from developing If you have higher – than – normal intraocular pressure – ocular hypertension, or keep it from worsening enough to cause damage and symptoms.
Glaucoma surgeries mainly focus on improving the drainage aqueous humor fluid, to lower pressure inside the eye. Surgery options include trabeculectomy, tube shunts, laser therapy and minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS)
Other treatments are possible, depending on what type of glaucoma you have, how it is affecting your eye and other factors.
Your eye doctor can tell you more about your treatment options and help you choose one that fits your needs best.
Without treatment, glaucoma inevitably causes permanent vision loss and blindness. With treatment, it is possible to slow the progress of the disease or stop it entirely. But because the range if possibilities can vary so widely, your eye specialist is the best person to talk to about this.
They can tell you the likely outlook for your specific case and what you can do to help tilt the scales in your favour.
Can glaucoma be prevented? Glaucoma is not preventable, but early detection and treatment can manage pressure inside your eye and help prevent or delay vision loss.
There a few ways that can happen.
Regular eye exams – pressure increases in your eyes are often detectable before they can cause glaucoma and its symptoms. Early eye specialists try to prevent glaucoma from worsening or at least, slow down its progress.
Managing ocular hypertension – if you have higher – than – normal pressure in your eyes, your eye care specialist can offer treatment options. Following their guidance can be crucial and help you avoid – or at least delay – vision loss.
Knowing and managing your risk factors – some of the conditions that you can try to manage or prevent include high blood pressure and diabetes, using protective items like safety glasses and goggle can help prevent eye injury.
Always be medically guided
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