Glaucoma - The Silent Thief of Vision

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging a nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries images from your eyes to your brain. When the optic nerve is damaged, you may lose peripheral vision (side vision) and eventually central vision.

There are two main types of glaucoma: open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma.

Open-angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma. It occurs when the fluid inside your eye (aqueous humor) cannot drain properly. This causes the pressure inside your eye to rise. Over time, high eye pressure can damage the optic nerve.

Angle-closure glaucoma is a less common type of glaucoma. It occurs when the iris (the colored part of your eye) blocks the drainage angle of your eye. This prevents the aqueous humor from draining properly, which causes the pressure inside your eye to rise. Angle-closure glaucoma can develop suddenly, and it can cause severe vision loss if it is not treated right away.

Symptoms of glaucoma

The early stages of glaucoma often have no symptoms. This is why it is important to have regular eye exams, even if you do not have any symptoms.

As glaucoma progresses, you may notice the following symptoms:

• Blurred vision
• Tunnel vision
• Seeing halos around lights
• Eye pain
• Red eyes
• Nausea or vomiting

If you have any of these symptoms, see your eye doctor right away.

Treatment for glaucoma

There is no cure for glaucoma, but there are treatments that can help to slow or stop the progression of the disease. The type of treatment you receive will depend on the type of glaucoma you have and how severe it is.

Treatments for open-angle glaucoma

• Eye drops: Eye drops are the most common treatment for open-angle glaucoma. There are many different types of eye drops available, and your doctor will work with you to find the ones that work best for you.
• Laser surgery: Laser surgery can be used to open up the drainage angle of your eye and improve the flow of aqueous humor.
• Surgery: Surgery may be an option if your glaucoma is not controlled with eye drops or laser surgery.

Treatments for angle-closure glaucoma

• Medications: Medications can be used to lower the pressure inside your eye and relieve the symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma.
• Laser surgery: Laser surgery can be used to open up the drainage angle of your eye and improve the flow of aqueous humor.
• Surgery: Surgery may be an option if your angle-closure glaucoma is not controlled with medications or laser surgery.

Preventing glaucoma

There is no sure way to prevent glaucoma, but there are some things you can do to reduce your risk:

• Have regular eye exams, even if you do not have any symptoms.
• Control your eye pressure.
• If you have a family history of glaucoma, talk to your doctor about your risk.
• Stop smoking.
• Manage your blood pressure.
• Control your diabetes.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun.

Glaucoma is a serious eye disease, but it is important to remember that it is treatable. If you have glaucoma, work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan that will help to protect your vision.

Author

Adam Scarbrough Adam is a Traverse City native. He is the Optical/Marketing Manager at Scarbrough Family Eyecare. Adam is a graduate of Central Michigan University where he studied entrepreneurship, professional sales, and marketing.