Everything You Need to Know About Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a term that describes a collection of eye disorders that impair the optic nerve. This nerve is the pathway between the brain and the eyes. Glaucoma can result in permanent vision loss or even blindness if left untreated.

However, protect your eyes from severe vision loss with early detection and treatment. You will enter into a long-term but important partnership with your eye doctor once you have been diagnosed with glaucoma. Following your eye doctor’s instructions will preserve your vision for a long time.

Causes of Glaucoma

The exact cause of glaucoma is still unknown. However, this condition is often associated with irregularly high pressure inside your eye. This pressure is also known as IOP or intraocular pressure. It emanates from a buildup of the clear fluid that continuously produces inside your eye called aqueous humor.

In optimal circumstances, this fluid exits your eye through a drainage system at the angle where the cornea and the iris meet. If this drainage system malfunctions, intraocular pressure rises, causing damage to your optic nerve.

Glaucoma Symptoms

People have referred to the condition as the “silent thief of sight” because the most prevalent form, open-angle glaucoma, is symptomless in its early stages. Symptoms only manifest when the condition is well-advanced, and vision loss is inevitable.

Left untreated, you will gradually lose your peripheral vision until you seem to be looking through a tunnel. As time goes by, your central vision may deteriorate until you have no vision. If you have risk factors for glaucoma, schedule regular, thorough eye exams by your eye doctor.

Glaucoma Risk Factors

While everybody is at risk of glaucoma, some factors can put you at a greater risk. They include:
 

• Age – You are at a higher risk of glaucoma as you age.

• High Eye Pressure – Your optometrist can detect high intraocular pressure during a comprehensive eye exam.

• Genetic Factors – If you have a family history of glaucoma, you are at a higher risk of this condition. Open-angle glaucoma is a hereditary condition.

• Ethnicity – Individuals of African origins are at a higher risk than those from other races. Additionally, they are more likely to get it at a younger age. Angle-closure glaucoma is a threat to people of Asian descent, while people of Japanese origin face a greater risk of having normal-tension glaucoma.

Is Glaucoma Curable?

Unfortunately, glaucoma does not have a cure or prevention. Furthermore, it cannot be successfully restored if you lose vision because of glaucoma. Thankfully, you can preserve your eyesight and slow down the progression of glaucoma. Lowering eye pressure in its early stages can help achieve this.

Different treatments are available, depending on the type and severity of glaucoma. Advanced, moderate, or mild glaucoma may entail various treatments. These include prescription medications, surgery, or both. The medications are eye drops that aim to lower eye pressure. So, use them as instructed if your doctor prescribes them.

For more information on glaucoma, visit Parkside Eye Care at our Cary, North Carolina, office. Call (919) 883-9987 to schedule an appointment today.