Glaucoma

Alternative Names

Glaucoma

What is Glaucoma

Glaucoma is not a single disease, but a group of diseases typically characterizing by high pressure within the eye (intraocular pressure), damage to the optic nerve, loss of peripheral (side) vision and possibly blindness.

About 3 million people suffer from glaucoma. Nearly 80,000 Americans become blind each year due to this disease. Glaucoma causes another 900,000 people to lose partial vision.

There are 3 types of glaucoma:

• Open-angle glaucoma is prevalent among people in the United States. In this type of glaucoma, the optic nerve is damaged bit by bit. This slowly leads to loss of eyesight. One eye may be affected more than the other. Sometimes much of your eyesight may be lost before you notice it.
• Closed-angle glaucoma is less common type. About 10% of all glaucoma cases in the United States are closed-angle. In this type of glaucoma, the colored part of the eye (iris) and the lens block movement of fluid between the chambers of your eye. This causes pressure to build up and the iris to press on the drainage system of the eye. A related type is sudden (acute) closed-angle glaucoma. It is often an emergency. If you get this acute form, you will need medical care right away to prevent permanent damage to your eye.
• Congenital glaucoma is a rare form of glaucoma that some infants have at birth. Some children and young adults can also have this type of the disease.

Signs and symptoms

If you suffer from open-angle glaucoma, you may have a loss of vision. In general, people may not notice this until it is serious. That is because, at first, the eye that is not affected makes up for the loss. Side vision is often lost before central vision.

Symptoms of closed-angle glaucoma can range from mild to severe. Symptoms like blurred vision last only for a short period of time. Severe signs of closed-angle glaucoma include longer-lasting episodes of blurred vision or pain in or around the eye. You may also see colored halos around lights, have red eyes or feel sick to your stomach and vomit.

If you have congenital glaucoma, you may notice watery eyes and sensitivity to light. Your baby may rub his or her eyes, squint or keep the eyes closed much of the time.

Possible complications

Left untreated, glaucoma can cause progressive vision loss, commonly in these stages:

• Blind spots in your peripheral vision
• Tunnel vision
• Total blindness

What causes

Damage to the optic nerve is often caused by increased pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure). It usually appears when extra fluid builds up in the eye such as when the eye makes too much fluid or does not drain well. But increased pressure does not always cause glaucoma. In these cases, the cause may not be found.

Rarely people can get glaucoma after an eye injury, after eye surgery or due to an eye tumor. Some medicines (corticosteroids) that are used in the treatment of other diseases may lead to glaucoma.

Prevention

For many people it is very hard to accept that they have glaucoma, because their vision may be gone by the time it is diagnosed. With counseling and training, you can find ways to keep your quality of life. You can use vision aids such as large-print items and special video systems to help you cope with reduced eyesight. You can also organize a support group of people who can help with tough tasks.

Treatment

Eye drops is typically used for treating glaucoma. It is very important to follow a daily schedule for your eye drops so that they work the way they should. You will likely need to take medicine for the rest of your life. In some cases, laser treatment or surgery is necessary.

Unfortunately, this treatment does not work in adults, but it can keep their vision from getting worse. The main aim of the treatment is to stop more damage to the optic nerve by lowering the pressure in the eyes.