Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the world. The reason glaucoma is called “the silent thief of sight” is that half the people with glaucoma don’t even know they have it! Meaning, that they may not notice symptoms in the early stages of the disease.
Getting routine eye exams is crucial in helping you preserve your vision. Your LOCATION1 ophthalmologist can check for any eye diseases that may be lurking under the surface by preventing any problems from arising by catching them early on.
At , we diagnose and help preserve your vision with cutting-edge glaucoma treatments that can slow the progression of the disease.
If you have a family history of glaucoma or have been diagnosed with glaucoma, contact in LOCATION1 today.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is not a single disease. In fact, it’s a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve due to an increase in pressure inside the eye called intraocular pressure (IOP). Though glaucoma is most common among the elderly, it can occur at any age. Left untreated, glaucoma first causes peripheral vision loss and ultimately permanent central vision loss.
When detected in the early stages, glaucoma can often be controlled and can prevent severe vision loss and even blindness. However, once the symptoms become noticeable, it means the disease has progressed. Unfortunately, once vision is lost from the disease, it usually can’t be restored.
What Puts You at Higher Risk of Glaucoma?
While anyone can develop glaucoma, the following features can place you at a higher risk:
- Being over 60
- Hispanic, Latino, or Asian descent
- African Americans over the age of 40 (glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in African Americans, 6-8 times more common than in Caucasians.)
- Family history of glaucoma
- Having diabetes
- Severe nearsightedness
- Taking certain medications (e.g. steroids)
- Significant eye injury (even if it occurred in childhood)
What Are the Signs of Glaucoma?
As mentioned earlier, glaucoma usually shows no symptoms in its early stages. When signs do manifest, it’s usually loss of tunnel vision or peripheral vision. By the time vision loss has occurred, it cannot be reversed.
An acute type of glaucoma, called angle-closure glaucoma, can present sudden symptoms such as foggy, blurred vision, halos around lights, eye pain, headache and even nausea. This is a medical emergency and should be assessed immediately as the intraocular pressure can become extremely high and cause permanent damage within hours.
If you experience any of these symptoms, seek prompt diagnosis and treatment by contacting in LOCATION1 or visit your nearest emergency room.
What Are the Different Types of Glaucoma?
The 2 most common forms of glaucoma are open-angle and narrow-angle, with open-angle being the most common.
Below we’ll briefly describe these and other types of glaucoma:
Open-angle glaucoma
Open-angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma. Generally, people don’t experience any symptoms until they begin to lose their vision. People with high blood pressure or diabetes are more at risk of developing this type of glaucoma.
Angle-closure glaucoma
Acute angle-closure glaucoma is marked by a sudden increase in eye pressure, which can cause severe pain, blurred vision, halos, nausea, and headaches. It is a medical emergency and should be attended to promptly at the emergency room or eye doctor’s office.
This type of glaucoma occurs when the outer edge of the iris blocks fluid from draining out of the front of the eye. The fluid builds up rapidly, causing a sudden increase in eye pressure. Left untreated, angle-closure glaucoma can lead to blindness in a matter of days.
Normal-tension glaucoma or low-tension glaucoma
Normal-tension glaucoma is a type of open-angle glaucoma that occurs in those with normal eye pressure. Those of Japanese descent or who have a history of normal-tension glaucoma are at higher risk for normal-tension glaucoma. Other risk factors include low blood pressure and heart problems, such as an irregular heartbeat.
Childhood glaucoma
Childhood glaucoma — also referred to as congenital glaucoma, pediatric, or infantile glaucoma — occurs in babies and young children. Childhood glaucoma is a very rare form of glaucoma that is caused by incorrect development of the eye’s drainage system before birth.
Children with childhood glaucoma tend to have cloudy eyes, are sensitive to light, tear excessively, and may have eyes that are larger than normal.
Secondary glaucomas
Glaucoma can develop as a complication of eye surgeries, injuries or other medical conditions such as cataracts, tumors, or a condition called uveitis which causes inflammation. Uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes can result in another serious form called neovascular glaucoma.
Pigmentary glaucoma
A rare form of glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma occurs when the pigment from the iris sheds and clogs the drainage of fluid from the eye, resulting in inflammation and damage to the eye and drainage system.
Can Glaucoma Be Treated?
While there is currently no cure for glaucoma, provides a variety of glaucoma treatments to prevent or slow vision loss. With the right care, you have a higher chance of managing your glaucoma and preserving your vision.
Common treatment options include:
Eye Drops
Your ophthalmologist will prescribe eye drops to help regulate pressure inside the eye by decreasing fluid production and/or improving drainage.
Laser Surgery
If eye drops aren’t doing enough to reduce intraocular pressure or IOT in open-angle glaucoma, laser surgery may be an option. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) opens up the drainage system in the eye to reduce pressure.
SLT is successful in 80% of cases and can reduce eye pressure by 20%.
Other Surgeries
If a laser procedure or eye drops do not lower eye pressure to the desired level, your ophthalmologist may recommend one of the following surgeries:
- Incision Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)
- Glaucoma Drainage Implants
Don’t lose sight of your future. With early detection and treatment, glaucoma can be controlled. Contact in LOCATION1 to book your consultation today.
Our practice serves patients from CITY 1, CITY 2, CITY 3, and CITY 4, and surrounding communities.