Glaucoma is a cluster of eye diseases that gradually steal your sight. There are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, and experts estimate that about half of the people who have glaucoma don’t even know it. Symptoms that develop later may include headaches, eye pain, nausea, rainbows around lights at night, and very blurred vision.
Your vision is lost due to the damage of the optic nerve. This nerve is responsible for carrying images from the eye to the brain a lot like an electric cable does. At this time there is no cure for glaucoma. However there are medications and surgeries that can be provided which can slow or stop any further loss of vision. The type of glaucoma will determine what kind of treatment is appropriate. The best way to stop the disease early is by early detection. For this reason it is important to visit your eye doctor once a year for a glaucoma test.
At one time it was thought to be high pressure or IOP, as it is referred to, that was the cause of the damage to the optic nerve. However, high pressure or IOP is still a factor with glaucoma, experts now know there are other factors are involved in the vision loss.
Glaucoma in adults will fall into one of two categories: open angle glaucoma and closed angle glaucoma.
The open angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma, which affects about 3 million Americans. When the eye’s drainage canals become clogged over time, the inner eye pressure rises due to the increased amount of fluid caused by the blockage of the eye’s drain and the eye’s inability to drain the correct amount of fluid. With the open angle glaucoma, the entryway to the drainage canals is clear, which means the blockage is farther inside the drainage canals.
Closed angle glaucoma is also known as an acute type of glaucoma or narrow angle glaucoma. This type of glaucoma is much rarer and is not like the open angle glaucoma. With this type of glaucoma the eye pressure or IOP rises rapidly.
The suggested treatment for closed angle glaucoma is usually surgery. The eye surgeon will remove a small portion of the iris’ outer edge, which will help unblock the drainage canals so the excess fluid will be allowed to drain. The surgery is a successful and long-lasting treatment for this type of glaucoma. Of course you will still need to have regular check-ups.
