What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that can cause blindness. Blindness occurs because glaucoma damages the optic nerve in the eye. Glaucoma is the leading cause for blindness in people over the age of 60. It usually gets progressively worse over time. Glaucoma has been known to run in families. It can cause permanent vision loss within a few years.
Types of Glaucoma
There are a few different types of Glaucoma:
-Primary open angle
-Acute open angle
-Chronic open angle
-Secondary
-Congenital
-Narrow Angle
-Acute Closed
Risk Factors
Glaucoma is mostly found in adults over 40 but young adults, children, and even infants can have it. Other risk factors or things that increase your likelihood of getting glaucoma are:
- Being of African American, Irish, Inuit, Russian, Hispanic, Scandinavian, or Japanese descent
- It runs in your family
- You already have poor vision
- Being nearsighted or farsighted
- You have diabetes
- You have high eye pressure
- Having corneas that are thinner than normal
Signs and Symptoms
In many cases there might be no symptoms until you notice significant vision loss. One of the first signs is losing your peripheral vision. Depending on the type of Glaucoma you could experience pain and/or discomfort. Schedule regular appointments with your eye doctor. They will be able to check for any signs that you are developing Glaucoma.
Treatment
Any treatment used will only be able to prevent future vision lost. But it can not restore vision that has already been lost. Consult with your doctor to find a treatment plan that works for you. The two types of treatment options are medication or surgery. Daily eye drops can be used to decrease eye pressure either by slowing the production of fluid in the eye or improving flow through the drainage angle. Surgery creates new pathways for the fluid to release from the eye. This will prevent high pressure and any further damage to your optic nerve. Talk with your Orem Lasik doctor and find the right treatment for you.
