Glaucoma

Description

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, often due to high eye pressure, leading to vision loss or blindness. It is usually a chronic condition with no early symptoms, making regular eye exams crucial for detection.

Lowering the eye pressure is necessary to manage the disease, as damage to the optic nerve cannot be reversed.

Etiology (Causes)

Fluid (aqueous humor) fails to drain properly

This builds up pressure that damages the optic nerve. (Glaucoma also occur with normal pressure, known as normal-tension glaucoma.)

The aqueous humor usually drains through a tissue located at the angle where the iris and cornea meet. This tissue is called the trabecular meshwork.

Eye pressure

For reasons that eye doctors don't fully understand, damage to the optic nerve is usually related to increased pressure in the eye.

The drainage angle formed by the iris and cornea remains open. But other parts of the drainage system don't drain properly (in open-angle glaucoma)

This may lead to a slow, gradual increase in eye pressure.

The iris bulges (Acute angle-closure glaucoma)

The bulging iris partially or completely blocks the drainage angle. As a result, fluid can't circulate through the eye and pressure increases. Angle-closure glaucoma may happen suddenly or gradually.

Risk Factors

High eye pressure (tautology)

Age (over 60)

Family History , African American or Hispanic ethnicity (genetics)

Underlying conditions like diabetes or nearsightedness

Symptoms

Many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs. The effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is in its later stages.

Open-angle Glaucoma

• No symptoms in early stages.
• Gradually, patchy blind spots in your side vision. (Side vision also is called peripheral vision.)
• In later stages, difficulty seeing things in your central vision.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma

• Bad headache.
• Severe eye pain.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Blurred vision.
• Halos or colored rings around lights.
• Eye redness.

Normal-tension glaucoma

• No symptoms in early stages.
• Gradually, blurred vision.
• In later stages, loss of side vision.

Glaucoma in children

• A dull or cloudy eye (infants).
• Increased blinking (infants).
• Tears without crying (infants).
• Blurred vision.
• Nearsightedness that gets worse.
• Headache.

Pigmentary glaucoma

• Halos around lights.
• Blurred vision with exercise.
• Gradual loss of side vision.

Treatments

Treatment is aimed at lowering eye pressure.

Eye drops (to reduce intraocular fluid)

Laser therapy (trabeculoplasty)

Surgery (trabeculectomy or stents)