Glaucoma
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging a nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve.
Glaucoma is known as The Silent Thief of Sight as loss of vision occurs slowly over time.. Initially, you may not even notice the symptoms of glaucoma and as time passes and the disease progresses, you will notice that you are unable to see clearly. If it is not treated on time, it can lead to irreversible blindness.
There is no cure for glaucoma, but early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision.
Types of glaucoma:
- 1. Open angle glaucoma- most common type of glaucoma which develops slowly over time. Caused by clogged drainage channels in the eye.
- 2. Angle- closure glaucoma- Caused by sudden blockage in the eye’s drainage channels. Symptoms include severe eye pain, blurred vision, halos nausea, vomiting and red eye.
- 3. Secondary glaucoma- caused by an underlying eye condition eg. retinal disease, uveitis
- 4. Normal tension glaucoma- has similar characteristics to open – angle glaucoma.
Symptoms
Symptoms to look out for
Gradual Loss of Peripheral Vision
Blurred Vision
Severe Eye Pain
Halos Around Lights
Nausea and Vomiting
Redness of the Eye
Risk Factors
Who faces a higher risk of developing Glaucoma?
- Age: Over 60 (40+ for certain ethnicities).
- Family History: Genetic predisposition.
- Ethnicity: Higher risk in African, Asian, and Hispanic populations.
- Medical Conditions: Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease.
- High Eye Pressure: Key risk factor.
- Eye Injuries: Past trauma increases risk.
- Steroid Use: Long-term corticosteroid use.
- Thin Corneas: Linked to higher susceptibility.
- Severe Myopia/Hyperopia: Extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness.
- Lifestyle: Smoking or poor blood circulation.
Glaucoma Diagnosis:
Glaucoma can be diagnosed after a comprehensive eye test which include:
Eye Examination through dilation: This test allows the doctor to check the retina and the optic nerve.
Tonometry: This test is done to check the intraocular pressure or eye pressure.
Gonioscopy: This test is done to understand the space between the iris and the cornea.
Visual Field Test: This test is done to check peripheral vision and to see if there are any blind spots in field of vision.
OCT: This test measures the thickness of the nerve fiber layer, which is vulnerable to eye pressure elevation.
Corneal pachymetry Test: This test is done to check the corneal thickness.
Glaucoma treatment:
- Anti -glaucoma drops – These drops help reduce the IOP and can be used daily. They can also slow the progression of glaucoma.
- Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (YAG PI) is a procedure used to treat narrow-angle glaucoma and acute angle-closure glaucoma. The procedure involves creating a small hole in the iris using a laser. This allows for improved flow of aqueous humor, reducing intraocular pressure and preventing further damage to the optic nerve.
Trabeculectomy – is a type of glaucoma surgery performed on the eye that creates a new pathway for fluid inside the eye to be drained out, thereby reducing the eye pressure.