Glauco

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, which is vital for good vision. This damage is often caused by an abnormally high pressure in your eye. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60. However, blindness from glaucoma can often be prevented with early treatment.

Types of Glaucoma

There are several types of glaucoma, including:

• Open-angle glaucoma: The most common form, where the eye's drainage canals become clogged over time, causing increased eye pressure and optic nerve damage.
• Angle-closure glaucoma: This type occurs when the iris bulges forward to narrow or block the drainage angle formed by the cornea and iris. If the drainage angle becomes completely blocked, eye pressure rises quickly, leading to a sudden (acute) attack of glaucoma.
• Normal-tension glaucoma: In this condition, the optic nerve becomes damaged even though the eye pressure is within the normal range.
• Glaucoma suspect: People are considered glaucoma suspects when they have one or more risk factors that could lead to glaucoma, including elevated eye pressure, but no damage to the optic nerve.

Symptoms

In the early stages, glaucoma typically has no symptoms, which is why it's often called the "silent thief of sight." As the disease progresses, symptoms might include:

• Loss of peripheral (side) vision
• Severe eye pain
• Nausea and vomiting (accompanying the severe eye pain)
• Blurred vision
• Halos around lights

Causes

The exact cause of glaucoma is unknown, but it is generally related to damage to the optic nerve. In many cases, increased pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure) is involved, but glaucoma can also occur when intraocular pressure is normal.

Risk Factors

Factors that increase the risk of developing glaucoma include:

• Age over 40
• Family history of glaucoma
• Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes
• High eye pressure
• Long-term use of corticosteroid medications, especially eyedrops

Diagnosis

Glaucoma is diagnosed through a comprehensive eye examination. Testing may include:

• Measuring intraocular pressure (tonometry)
• Testing for optic nerve damage with a dilated eye exam and imaging tests
• Checking for areas of vision loss (visual field test)
• Measuring corneal thickness (pachymetry)
• Inspecting the drainage angle (gonioscopy)

Treatment

While there is no cure for glaucoma, early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision. Treatment options include:

• Medications, such as prescription eyedrops, to lower eye pressure
• Laser treatment, to improve drainage or decrease eye pressure
• Surgery, to create a new drainage path or to reduce the production of aqueous humor

Prevention

Regular eye exams are the best form of prevention against significant glaucoma damage. For adults, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends comprehensive eye exams every 5 to 10 years if you're under 40 years old, every 2 to 4 years from age 40 to 54, every 1 to 3 years from age 55 to 64, and every 1 to 2 years at age 65 and older.