|
 |
- Field Analyser
- GDX
- Non Contact Tonometer
- Gonioscopy Lenses
- ND-Yag Laser
- Cirrus OCT
- Visante OCT
Glaucoma is an eye condition that develops when
too much fluid pressure builds up inside of the eye.
It tends to be inherited and may not show up until
later in life.
The increased pressure, called intraocular pressure,
can damage the optic nerve, which transmits images
to the brain. If damage to the optic nerve from high
eye pressure continues, glaucoma will cause loss of
vision. Without treatment, glaucoma can cause total
permanent blindness within a few years.
Because most people with glaucoma have no early
symptoms or pain from this increased pressure, it is
important to see your ophthalmologist regularly so
that glaucoma can be diagnosed and treated before
long-term visual loss occurs.
If you are over the age of 40 and if you have a family history of glaucoma, you
should have a complete eye exam with an ophthalmologist every one to two years.
If you have health problems such as diabetes or a family history of glaucoma or
are at risk for other eye diseases, you may need to visit your
eye doctor more frequently.
|
|
Why Does Pressure Rise in the Eye to Cause Glaucoma?
Glaucoma usually occurs when intraocular pressure increases.
This happens when the fluid pressure in the eye's anterior
chamber, the area between the cornea and the iris, rises.
Normally, this fluid, called aqueous humor, flows out of the
eye through a mesh-like channel. If this channel becomes
blocked, fluid builds up, causing glaucoma. The direct cause
of this blockage is unknown, but doctors do know that it is
most often inherited, meaning it is passed from parents to
children.
Less common causes of glaucoma include a blunt or chemical
injury to the eye, severe eye infection, blockage of blood
vessels in the eye, inflammatory conditions of the eye, and
occasionally eye surgery to correct another condition.
Glaucoma usually occurs in both eyes, but it may involve
each eye to a different extent.
|
What Are the Types of Glaucoma?
There are two main types of glaucoma:
- Open-angle glaucoma. Also called wide-angle glaucoma, this is the most
common type of glaucoma. The structures of the eye appear normal, but fluid
in the eye does not flow properly through the drain of the eye, called the
trabecular meshwork.
- Angle-closure glaucoma. Also called acute or chronic angle-closure or
narrow-angle glaucoma, this type of glaucoma is less common, but can cause a
sudden buildup of pressure in the eye. Drainage may be poor because the
angle between the iris and the cornea (where a drainage channel for the eye
is located) is too narrow. Or, the pupil opens too wide, narrowing the angle
and blocking the flow of the fluid through that channel.
|
Who Gets Glaucoma?
Glaucoma most often occurs in adults over age 40, but it can also occur in young adults, children, and even infants. In African-Americans, glaucoma occurs more frequently and at an earlier age and with greater loss of vision.
You are at an increased risk of glaucoma if you:
- Are of African-American, Irish, Russian, Japanese,
Hispanic, Inuit, or Scandinavian descent.
- Are over age 40.
- Have a family history of glaucoma.
- Have poor vision.
- Have diabetes.
- Take systemic corticosteroid medications, such as
prednisone.
|
What Are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?
For most people, there are usually few or no symptoms of glaucoma. The first sign of glaucoma is often the loss of peripheral or side vision, which can go unnoticed until late in the disease. Detecting glaucoma early is one reason you should have a complete exam with an eye specialist every one to two years. Occasionally, intraocular pressure can rise to severe levels. In these cases, sudden eye pain, headache, blurred vision, or the appearance of halos around lights may occur.
If you have any of the following symptoms, seek immediate medical care:
-
Seeing halos around lights
- Vision loss
- Redness in the eye
- Eye that looks hazy (particularly in infants)
- Nausea or vomiting
- Pain in the eye
- Narrowing of vision (tunnel vision)
|
How Is Glaucoma Diagnosed?
To diagnose glaucoma, an ophthalmologist will test your vision and examine your eyes through dilated pupils. The doctor will also perform a procedure called tonometry to check for eye pressure and a visual field test to determine if there is loss of peripheral vision. Glaucoma tests are painless and take very little time.
How Is Glaucoma Treated?
Glaucoma treatment may include prescription eye drops, laser, or microsurgery.
-
Eye drops for glaucoma. These either reduce the formation of fluid in the front of the eye or increase its outflow. Side effects of glaucoma drops may include allergy, redness of the eyes, brief stinging, blurred vision, and irritated eyes. Some glaucoma drugs may affect the heart and lungs. Be sure to tell your doctor about any glaucoma medication you are currently taking or are allergic to.
- Laser surgery for glaucoma. Laser surgery for
glaucoma slightly increases the outflow of the fluid
from the eye in open-angle glaucoma or eliminates fluid
blockage in angle-closure glaucoma. Types of laser
surgery for glaucoma include trabeculoplasty, in which a
laser is used to pull open the trabecular meshwork
drainage area; iridotomy, in which a tiny hole is made
in the iris, allowing the fluid to flow more freely; and
cyclophotocoagulation, in which a laser beam treats
areas of the ciliary body, reducing the production of
fluid.
- Microsurgery for glaucoma. In an operation called a
trabeculectomy, a new channel is created to drain the
fluid, thereby reducing intraocular pressure that causes
glaucoma. Sometimes this form of glaucoma surgery fails
and must be redone. For some patients, a glaucoma
implant is the best option. Other complications of
microsurgery for glaucoma include some temporary or
permanent loss of vision, as well as bleeding or
infection.
|
Can Glaucoma Be Prevented?
Glaucoma cannot be prevented, but if it is diagnosed and
treated early, the disease can be controlled.
What Is the Outlook for People With Glaucoma?
At this time, loss of vision caused by glaucoma is
irreversible and cannot be restored. However, successfully
lowering eye pressure can prevent further visual loss from
glaucoma. Most people with glaucoma do not go blind as long
as they follow their treatment plan and have regular eye
exams. |
|
|
|
