Do you know about glaucoma? As one of the leading causes of blindness in adults over 60, it’s a condition everyone should be aware of.
Glaucoma often goes unnoticed for years, and by the time it’s diagnosed, irreversible damage has already occurred. Fortunately, there are ways to detect it before you experience vision loss.
Keep reading to learn more about how to know if you have glaucoma.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma refers to a group of eye conditions that cause damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain, transmitting visual information.
When the optic nerve becomes damaged, it can affect your ability to see clearly and can lead to significant vision loss. In the majority of cases, high eye pressure is the cause of optic nerve damage with glaucoma.
Your eye naturally produces a fluid called aqueous humor, which maintains healthy eye pressure. If this fluid doesn’t drain properly, pressure builds up, increasing the risk of glaucoma.
There are two main types of glaucoma:
Open-Angle Glaucoma
Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma. It occurs when the drainage angle between the iris and cornea remains open, but smaller drainage channels become blocked.
The blockage of these small channels, known as the trabecular meshwork, leads to a gradual increase in eye pressure. This slow increase in pressure damages the optic nerve over time.
The damage happens so slowly that it can take years before any noticeable symptoms develop. However, once it has occurred, the damage cannot be reversed.
The best way to prevent this damage is by attending regular eye exams with your eye doctor at Cheema MD Eye Care. They can help detect signs of glaucoma before they cause irreversible vision loss.
Angle-Closure Glaucoma
Angle-closure glaucoma can occur when the iris partially blocks the drainage canal, preventing fluid from leaving the eye and causing a rise in eye pressure. If the drainage canal becomes completely blocked, it can cause an acute angle-closure attack.
Patients experience a sudden rise in eye pressure, which can lead to rapid vision loss if not treated promptly.
Who Can Develop Glaucoma?
While anyone can develop the condition, there are several factors that increase your risk of developing glaucoma, including:
- Being over 60 years old
- Being of African, Hispanic, or Asian descent
- Being highly nearsighted or farsighted
- Having thin corneas
- Having diabetes or high blood pressure
- Regularly using corticosteroid medications
- Having a family history of glaucoma
If you are at higher risk, it’s even more crucial to have regular eye exams to detect glaucoma early. Early detection can help prevent vision loss and improve your prognosis.
What Are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?
The reason glaucoma often goes unnoticed is that open-angle glaucoma typically doesn’t cause early symptoms. When symptoms appear, significant damage to the optic nerve may already be present.
The first noticeable symptoms of open-angle glaucoma are usually blurry spots in your peripheral vision. As the condition progresses, you may lose your peripheral vision entirely.
Your vision may become more tunnel-like, limiting your ability to see objects on the periphery. In contrast, an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack develops quickly and presents with symptoms including:
- Eye pain
- Headache
- Blurry vision
- Halos around lights
- Nausea and vomiting
If you experience these symptoms, seek emergency medical care immediately. Quick intervention is necessary to reduce eye pressure and prevent permanent optic nerve damage.
How Do You Know If You Have Glaucoma?
The only way to know for sure if you have glaucoma is to be diagnosed by your eye doctor at Cheema MD Eye Care. Because early-stage glaucoma usually doesn’t present with symptoms, it’s important to schedule regular eye exams.
Your exam will likely include several tests that can reveal optic nerve damage or high eye pressure, like:
- Slit-lamp examination
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
- Tonometry
- Visual field testing
How is Glaucoma Treated?
Although there’s no cure for glaucoma, it can be managed effectively with a number of treatments. These glaucoma treatments aim to lower eye pressure to prevent further damage to the optic nerve.
At Cheema MD Eye Care, treatment options for glaucoma include:
Medication
Prescription eye drops are the most common treatment for lowering eye pressure. These drops need to be taken daily to be effective.
There are three main types of glaucoma eye drops:
- Beta-blockers, which decrease fluid production in the eye
- Prostaglandin analogs, which help the fluid drain from the eye more efficiently
- Alpha-adrenergic agonists, which reduce fluid production and improve fluid drainage
Laser Procedures
Laser treatments can be used to help reduce eye pressure as well. They are usually performed in-office and are minimally invasive.
Laser procedures may target the ciliary body, which produces fluid, or the trabecular meshwork, to improve drainage. Some of the laser glaucoma procedures offered at Cheema MD Eye Care include:
- Laser trabeculoplasty
- Laser peripheral iridotomy
- Scatter panretinal photocoagulation
Traditional Surgeries
For more severe cases, traditional glaucoma surgery may be necessary. One option is a trabeculectomy, where a small opening is created in the eye to allow fluid to drain more effectively.
In some cases, drainage devices are implanted to help manage eye pressure. These surgeries are usually done as outpatient procedures.
Your ophthalmologist will tailor a treatment plan based on the severity of your condition and individual needs.
Do you want to learn more about glaucoma? Schedule an appointment at Cheema Eye in Kingston, NY!
