What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma encompasses a small group of eye conditions that ultimately result in damage to the optic nerve, which leads to poor, if not total loss of sight.
The most common onset of glaucoma results from an increased build-up of pressure within the eye, known as open-angle glaucoma.
There is a small, protective sack between the cornea and iris, known as the anterior chamber. The anterior chamber is filled with a clear liquid known as the aqueous humor. With it, the anterior chamber helps keep the muscles of the eye hydrated and nourished.
The aqueous humor drains out at the point where the iris and the cornea meet, a spongy area called the meshwork.
With open-angle glaucoma, the aqueous humor is still able to drain from the anterior chamber, but it does so too slowly, which causes excess amount of aqueous humor to build up, which places pressure on the optic nerve and can damage it.
Glaucoma can also result from a multitude of other factors, including high blood pressure, cornea thinning or simply from an abnormally-developed optic nerve.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
One of the biggest issues with glaucoma is that in its earliest stages of development, there are no symptoms.
Patients experience no discomfort, and their eyesight remains unaffected.
However, after a prolonged period of time, glaucoma conditions within the eye will begin to affect the patient's vision.
First, patient's will tend to lose their peripheral vision, or their ability to see objects along the sides of their vision. It's difficult for many patients, at this stage, to know they're beginning to lose their eye sight. Peripheral vision can be easily accommodated for by simply turning your head, and most patients don't realize they're doing this.
As time progresses, a patient's peripheral vision will worsen to an extent where it appears as if they're seeing things through a very small tunnel, only their straight-ahead vision intact. Eventually, their central vision with disappear as well, until the patient is completely blind.
Glaucoma Treatment
Unfortunately, there is not corrective treatment for glaucoma. Most patients are diagnosed when they begin to notice their lack of vision, and this damage to the optic nerve is irreversible.
Diagnosis during the early stages of open-angle glaucoma, where the patient may having only slight deterioration in their peripheral vision, is extremely important. Although there is no cure, there are a few treatment options the patient can undergo to halt the progress of glaucoma, including medications, surgery or laser trabeculoplasty.
The best way to prevent the onset of glaucoma is to schedule regular appointments with your eye doctor, who is able to easily spot the beginnings of open-angle glaucoma and help you delay its progression before any visions loss occurs.
Risk Factors
It's important to know the risk factors that can lead to glaucoma, so that you can assess your level of susceptibility to further urge you to set up regular eyes examinations.
Patients who are more susceptible to glaucoma are:
-people over the age of 60
-people of African American or Hispanic heritage
-people with a family history of glaucoma
-patients who have been already diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and sickle cell anemia
-people who are nearsighted
-people who have sustained recent injury to their eye
Why is there an awareness month for Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness, worldwide. This is due largely to fact that patient detection of the illness is an indication of prolonged time with glaucoma, and irreversible damage, all resulting from the lack of education of the risk factors and symptoms of glaucoma.
In 2002, the Glaucoma Research Foundation released a Prevent Blindness America Survey to poll the nation's knowledge and understanding of Glaucoma. Over 50% of those who completed the survey admit to having heard the of the illness before, but know nothing about it.
It is important to keep ourselves informed of conditions, such as glaucoma, that don't have immediately detectable symptoms, that lead to horrific and permanent damage to our bodies.
Sources:
Department of Health and Human Services, The National Institutes of Health, and USA.gov. "Facts About Glaucoma." National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016. Web. 31 Dec. 2016.
"Glaucoma Facts and Stats." Glaucoma Facts and Stats . Glaucoma Research Foundation, 18 Nov. 2016. Web. 31 Dec. 2016.
