Everything You Need to Know about Glaucoma, From Risk Factors and Symptoms to Treatment
We often take our sight for granted. It’s a sense that we rely on every day to navigate the world around us. But there are eye conditions that can damage your vision, even causing permanent blindness. Glaucoma is one such eye condition. It damages the optic nerve, which in turn leads to vision loss or blindness. It’s often related to high pressure in the eye, but it can happen even with typical eye pressure. In this article, we’ll take a look at glaucoma risks and symptoms, and how it is treated to help preserve your vision.
Glaucoma Risk Factors
Glaucoma can happen at any age but it is more common in older adults. In fact, it is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60. Here are some of the other risk factors for glaucoma:
- High internal eye pressure (intraocular pressure)
- Black, Asian, or Hispanic heritage
- Family history
- Certain medical conditions such as diabetes, migraine, high blood pressure, and sickle cell anemia
- Corneas that are thin in the center
- Extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness
- Eye injury or certain types of eye surgery
- Taking corticosteroid medicines, especially eye drops, for a long time
Glaucoma Symptoms
Symptoms of glaucoma depend on the type and stage of the condition. Here are the symptoms you should be on the lookout for if you are at risk of glaucoma.
Open-Angle Glaucoma
- No symptoms in early stage
- Gradual, patchy blind spots in your side 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
- Hallows 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
When to See a Doctor
If you have symptoms that come on suddenly, you may have acute angle-closure glaucoma and you need treatment as soon as possible. Go to an emergency room or call an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) immediately.
Causes of Glaucoma
Glaucoma develops when the optic nerve becomes damaged. As the nerve gradually gets worse, blind spots develop in your vision. For reasons that eye doctors don’t fully understand, this nerve damage is usually related to increased pressure in the eye.
So what causes the raised pressure? It is often the result of a buildup of fluid that flows throughout the inside of the eye. This fluid usually drains through a tissue located at the angle where the iris and cornea meet. When the eye makes too much fluid or the drainage system doesn’t work properly, eye pressure may increase.
Can Glaucoma be Prevented?
You can prevent or slow vision loss if you are able to catch glaucoma early and manage it. It’s important that you get regular eye exams and to know your family’s eye health history. Be sure to wear eye protection when using power tools or when playing sports as damage to the eye can lead to a buildup of pressure. If you are at risk of glaucoma, special eye drops can greatly reduce the risk that high eye pressure will progress to glaucoma. Use these drops as prescribed by a healthcare professional even if you have no symptoms.
Some other tips to help control eye pressure and promote general eye health at home include:
- Eating a balanced and healthy diet
- Exercise regularly
- Limit your caffeine (large amounts of caffeine may increase eye pressure)
- Sip fluids carefully (drinking a quart or more of any liquid within a short time can temporarily increase eye pressure)
Diagnosing Glaucoma
Diagnosis includes an eye care professional reviewing your medical history and doing a comprehensive eye exam. Several tests may be done, including:
- Measuring intraocular pressure (tonometry)
- Testing for optic nerve damage with a dilated eye exam and imaging tests
- Checking for areas of vision loss (visual field test)
- Measuring corneal thickness (pachymetry)
- Inspecting the drainage angle (gonioscopy)
How to Treat Glaucoma
Damage caused by glaucoma cannot be reversed. Treatment and regular checkups can slow the progression of the condition, as well as slow or prevent further vision loss, especially if it is discovered in its early stages.
Treatment aims to lower eye pressure and can include:
- Prescription Eye Drops – drops work by helping to improve how fluid drains from the eye, helping to decrease pressure
- Oral Medicines – these are often prescribed if eye drops do not bring eye pressure down to the desired level
- Surgery, Laser Treatment, & Other Therapies –
- Laser therapy is an option if eye drops can’t be tolerated or if medicine hasn’t slowed the progression of the disease. An eye doctor will use a small laser to improve drainage.
- Filtering surgery (trabeculectomy) creates an opening in the white of the eye, giving space for fluid to leave the eye.
- Drainage tubes can be inserted into the eye to help excess fluid drain off and lower eye pressure.
- Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) can also lower eye pressure and it carries less risk than filtering surgery or other drainage devices.
Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency. If you are diagnosed with this form of glaucoma, you’ll need urgent treatment. This generally requires medicine and a laser or surgical procedures. You might have a procedure called a laser peripheral iridotomy. This is when the doctor creates a small hole in your iris using a laser. This hole allows fluid to flow through the iris and helps open the drainage angle of the eye to relieve eye pressure.
Key Takeaways
Glaucoma’s exact cause isn’t known, but it is believed to be caused by increased eye pressure from a buildup of fluid in the eye. While glaucoma is more common in older adults, it can happen at any age, including infancy. Knowing your family eye health history and getting regular eye exams can help you catch glaucoma earlier. The earlier you catch this disease, the more likely treatments will be able to help slow progression of glaucoma and the more vision you can preserve.
Late getting your annual eye exam? Schedule it today with Black Diamond Eye Care, the experienced eye care provider in the Castle Rock area. We offer compassionate service with state-of-the-art technology to ensure you receive the best possible care for your eyes. Schedule your next eye exam online today!
