When we talk about eye diseases the first name that comes to our mind is actually glaucoma. It is basically a series of eye diseases that slowly destroy the optic nerve. Optic nerves are really very important for clear vision. It is one of the root causes of blindness particularly among those people who are about 60s. People of any age can be affected by this disease. Try to understand why glaucoma is very dangerous. It is because it does not show any particular symptoms in its early stages. It slowly damages your vision without any particular indication. That’s why, it is crucial to understand what glaucoma actually is, what its symptoms are and how you can go for effective treatment Options. This comprehensive article is all about. Let’s find out the complete details about this fatal disease.
What is Glaucoma?
As we said in our introductory paragraph that glaucoma is not a single disease itself. It is a collection of certain diseases that damage the optic nerve. Optic nerve is a backbone for our clear vision. It connects your eyes to your brain and is responsible for providing view information. Now what happens with your vision is the important question at the moment. When this optic nerve is damaged or injured it can create permanent vision loss.
Glaucoma is classified into different categories but here we will talk about two most common forms. Let’s have a look.
Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
POAG is the most common category of glaucoma. In this form the drainage pathways of the eyes get blocked as the time passes that result in increasing eye pressure. Remember the whole process is actually slow and steady. Why we will call it a complicated disease is because most people do not experience any changes in their vision until the damage has been done.
Angle Closure Glaucoma
This type of disorder develops when the Iris is very close to the drainage angle of the eye. When this happens it can block it. In this way a sudden pressure in the eyes starts to increase. The condition creates severe pain and vision loss. This type of glaucoma is less common but is really very dangerous.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
As we said earlier, it is very difficult to detect its symptoms at its early stage but despite the fact, there are some common symptoms that you can experience and after that you must consult your professional physician for further guidance. Let’s find out some common but important symptoms of glaucoma.
Patchy Blind Spots
One of the common signs in case of glaucoma is patchy blind spots. Most of the cases they appear in your peripheral vision and sometimes remain undetected until the condition develops further.
Tunnel Vision
This symptom actually appears when the disease progresses at advanced stages. In this stage you can experience a reduction of your area of vision similar to looking through a tunnel.
Severe Eye Pain
If you feel severe pain in your eye it can be the sign of acute angle closure glaucoma. This situation is very dangerous and you must have to consult with your professional healthcare provider in an urgent way.
Headaches
Headache is another symptom which comes along with eye pain. It means there is an indication of increasing pressure on the eye.
Blurred Vision
An affected person can experience unclear vision especially in the advanced stage. Here you can notice that your vision can become cloudy or uncertain.
Halos around Lights
One of the important symptoms in case of glaucoma is the feeling of shadows around lights that may indicate the presence of angle closure glaucoma.
Nausea and Vomiting
These are common symptoms in most of the diseases but here in case of glaucoma these symptoms can indicate the presence of acute angle closure glaucoma. It is because of the rapid increase in eye pressure.
Risk Factors for Glaucoma
Here in this part of the article we are going to talk about some important risk factors that can be the reason for glaucoma. Let’s talk about one by one.
Age
Those people who are above 60 years are at high risk of developing glaucoma but remember there is a possibility to develop this disease at any age as well.
Ethnicity
The origin and cultural background is also one of the major contributing factors towards glaucoma. People of certain origins like African American, Asian and Hispanics are at higher risk to develop glaucoma.
Family History
If someone in your family has had glaucoma then there are a lot of chances to develop in you as well.
Diabetes
Certain medical diseases like increase in blood pressure, diabetes and heart diseases can also increase the chances of creating this vision disorder.
Eye Issues
Medical studies have shown that some eye conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, past injuries of the eyes or operations can also increase the risk of glaucoma to a greater extent.
Long Term Use of Corticosteroid
If you use corticosteroid for a longer period of time especially as eye drops, it can lead to glaucoma as well.
Thin Corneas
Those people who have thinner corneas, especially Central, are more likely to suffer from this complicated vision disorder.
Diagnosing Glaucoma
Early diagnosis is the key to success for better treatment not only in this case but also in any type of disease. For this purpose it is important to go for regular eye examination especially in that case when you are at higher risk of developing it. Here in the following we are going to discuss some of the important diagnosing methods for identifying this vision loss disorder. Let’s have a look.
Tonometry
This special test is performed in order to analyze the pressure within your eyes. If the measurement is higher than the normal pressure it means there is a risk factor involved in your case to develop glaucoma.
Ophthalmoscopy
Ophthalmoscopy is a special test that enables you to check out the color and structure of your optic nerve. A professional doctor can perform this test in a comprehensive way.
Perimetry
In order to identify an blind spots, a perimeter test is performed. This special test is also known as a visual field test because it analyzes your peripheral vision.
Gonioscopy
It is very important to check out the drainage angle of your eye in order to determine whether it is open or closed. Why it is important is the question at the moment. In order to differentiate between different kinds of glaucoma, gonioscopy is considered as an effective test in this context.
Pachymetry
Pachymetry test is performed in order to examine the amount of thickness of your cornea. Remember those people who have thinner corneas have a great chance to develop this disease.
Treatment Options for Glaucoma
Remember there is no treatment available for glaucoma but the use of medicine can slow up the process of its development and prevent more vision loss. The initial purpose of treatment is to reduce the intraocular pressure and safeguard the optic nerve. In this way there are some important treatment options that you can adopt. Let’s have a look.
Medicine
Eye drops are most often used as a treatment option in case of glaucoma. The major function of these drops is to reduce the ocular pressure by decreasing the quantity of fluid that is created by the eye and also facilitate its overflow. In some of the cases it is observed that oral medicines can also be prescribed as well.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is another option in order to treat open angle glaucoma. In this case laser trabeculoplasty is a treatment option. This therapy improves the outflow of the fluid from the eyes. For angle closure glaucoma laser iridotomy creates a tiny hole in the Iris in order to avoid fluid drain more effectively.
Surgery
Surgery is basically an extreme treatment option where all the above mentioned methods fail for treating glaucoma. So a surgical procedure is needed at that time. Some of the important surgical treatment methods are as follows.
Trabeculectomy
This is one of the common surgical operations that basically create a new drainage channel for fluid to leave the eyes.
Glaucoma Drainage Implants
As the name suggests these devices are inserted in order to help to remove extra fluid.
Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery
Modern surgical procedures are less disturbing and need a shorter period of recovery.
Changes in Lifestyle
It is a fact that only Lifestyle changes cannot treat glaucoma but they are really helpful and provide support for your overall health of the eye. Try to make important changes in your lifestyle including a healthy diet rich in antioxidants. Besides that, it is important to avoid those activities that put pressure on the eyes. You can also use suitable eye protection methods as well.
Prevention Strategies
We have discussed in detail how prevention of glaucoma is really a tough task due to its complicated nature. Mostly the symptoms start to rise after the damage has been done. However the thing that is in your control is you can minimize the risk of developing glaucoma. So there are some important tips for you that help to prevent this vision disease. Let’s have a look.
Regular Eye Examination
If you want to prevent glaucoma in your life then it is important to go for regular eye check-ups. It is important because when you regularly go through the process of examination it becomes easier to detect symptoms at an early stage. In this way you can reduce the chances of damage to a greater extent.
Know About Your Family History
Glaucoma can be created due to genetic factors, that’s why it is really important to know about family history in this regard in order to help out your doctor to take preventive measures to avoid its development.
Protect Your Eyes
You better know that everything demands protection and the same is the case here with your eyes. Make sure to protect your eyes. For this purpose, try to use protective sunglasses while participating in activities like sports or those that can create damage to the eye.
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Healthy lifestyle is as necessary as blood in your body. It is a broad term. The important thing here is to make a habit to eat a well balanced diet and give importance to other health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes. By doing this you can reduce the risk of developing glaucoma to a greater extent.
Avoid Smoking
Smoking is a much discussed topic and we have talked about so much time in our previous articles. It is one of the root causes in most of the fatal diseases. So try to eliminate smoking from your life if you want to live a healthier life. Research shows that smoking can increase the chances of developing different eye diseases where glaucoma is one of them.
Manage Eye Pressure
It is really crucial to control eye pressure if you are already at risk to develop this eye vision disease. In this case regular monitoring is really important.
How to Live with Glaucoma?
If you are suffering from glaucoma then it is very important to follow expert guidance which we have deeply talked about in this complete article. Here are some important tips for you in order to manage the condition more effectively. Let’s have a look.
Follow Your Treatment Plan
It is important to restrict yourself from your treatment plans. Your treatment options can be different according to your present condition, whether your treatment options are eye drops, medicines are surgical, you have to follow your plans regularly and strictly.
Stay Informed
First of all try to educate yourself about glaucoma and its consequences on your overall eye health. Keep in touch with your healthcare provider about new medicines and research related to your disease.
Support Network
It is important to interact with those people who have the same issues as you are facing. This helps to get necessary support whether it is emotional or financial.
Vision Aids
When your eyesight changes, there is a need to get assistance like using magnifying glasses, special lighting and other optical devices. These measures can help you to keep you functional.
Conclusion
Glaucoma is a dangerous disease that can even lead you to blindness if it is not treated effectively. Remember it is very important to diagnose it at its early stage otherwise due to its complex nature the symptoms can appear after damage has been done. So with early diagnosis, effective treatment and changes in lifestyle you can manage this disease to a great extent. Regular examination of the eyes is of utmost importance that helps to prevent glaucoma and its risk factors. First understand and know about glaucoma and keep in touch with new discoveries in the field of medicine. By following the guidelines you can protect your eyesight for a longer period of time.