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Glaucoma

Did you know that glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide?
A common eye condition, glaucoma is associated with the increased pressure inside the eye which damages the optic nerve.
While older people are more at risk, children too can develop it. Although there is no permanent cure for the condition, early intervention can help manage the symptoms and stop further damage to the eye.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of disorders that damages the optic nerve, which carries the visual signals from the eye to the brain, allowing us to see. The damage occurs slowly and leads to gradual vision loss or permanent blindness. Sometimes its symptoms can go unnoticed which leads to severe consequences.

The early signs and symptoms of glaucoma depend on the type and stage of the condition. The common symptoms include:

  • Halos around lights
  • Eye pain
  • Redness in the eye
  • Vision loss
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Tunnel vision in advanced stages
  • Severe headache
  • Patchy blind spots in the vision
  • Blurred vision
The fluid aqueous humor in the eye usually flows out through a channel. When the channel gets blocked, the liquid starts building up, increasing the pressure in the eye. This increased pressure(IOP) damages the optic nerve, resulting in causing glaucoma. As it gradually deteriorates, blind spots start to develop in your visual aid.

Glaucoma runs in families and can be inherited through genes. Other causes of glaucoma include chemical injury to the eye, blocked eye blood vessels, severe eye infection and inflammatory conditions.

The different types of glaucoma are:

Open-Angle Glaucoma: One of the most common forms of the condition, open-angle glaucoma occurs when the trabecular meshwork gets partially blocked while the drainage angle formed by the iris and cornea remains open. Due to this, the pressure in the eye gradually increases and damages the optic nerve.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma: Also known as closed-angle glaucoma, it occurs when the iris bulges forward and narrows or blocks the drainage angle it forms with the cornea. Due to this, the fluid can’t circulate through the eye which results in increasing the pressure. It may occur gradually(chronic angle-closure glaucoma) or suddenly (acute angle-closure glaucoma).

Normal-Tension Glaucoma: In this condition, the optic nerve becomes damaged even when the eye pressure is within normal range. It could be due to a sensitive optic nerve or less blood supply to it.

Pigmentary Glaucoma: In this type of glaucoma, pigment granules from the iris build up in the drainage channels which blocks or slows down the fluid exit from the eye. Activities like jogging sometimes stir up the pigment granules and deposit them on the trabecular meshwork causing pressure elevations.

Glaucoma mostly develops in people after the age of 40 but children too can get it. Chronic cases of glaucoma can also destroy the vision completely. It is imperative to keep looking out for signs and stay vary of the risk factors of glaucoma, such as:

  • High internal eye pressure
  • Old age
  • Family history of glaucoma
  • Eye injury or certain type of eye surgery
  • Taking certain medications especially eye drops for a long time
  • Corneas that are thin in the centre
  • Poor vision or extreme farsightedness or nearsightedness
  • Having medical conditions like diabetes high blood pressure, sickle cell anaemia

Some of the self-care tips you should follow to prevent or slow down vision loss:

  • Go for a regular eye examination
  • Know about your family’s eye health history
  • Quit smoking
  • Use the contact lenses carefully
  • Perform some eye exercises regularly
  • Take prescribed eyedrops on time
  • Wear eye protection to prevent injuries
  • Keep a check on your caffeine intake

Different types of glaucoma require different treatments. Typically, in the beginning, your eye doctor might suggest some eye drops to reduce the pressure in the eye and prevent eyesight loss. The advanced treatment for glaucoma includes the following techniques:

Oral medication/ Eye drops: Your eye doctor might suggest some beta-blocker or carbonic anhydrase inhibitor to improve drainage or slow down the creation of fluid in the eye. Since it is a lifelong condition, you might also need to use the eye drops daily.

Surgery: If the IOP increases due to a blocked or slow channel, then doctors may suggest surgery to clear the drainage path for the fluid or to destroy the tissues that are responsible for the increase in the fluid.

Laser treatment: In this procedure, a strong laser beam is used to improve the fluid drainage from the eye.

Consult the expert ophthalmologists at Sarvodaya’s Centre for Opthalmology and get the required counselling, treatment and care for your eye health.

Book your appointment online or call 18003131414

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