Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. It is caused by fluid building up in the front part of the eyes. This increases pressure on the optic nerves, leading to loss of vision. It can occur at any age but is more common in adults. This year’s Glaucoma Week (11th-17th March) is an opportune time to learn more about the disease.
There are two types of glaucoma: primary open-angle glaucoma and and narrow-angle glaucoma. The former happens slowly over time. The eye doesn’t drain fluid as well as it should, leading to pressure build up. A healthy eye should drain excess fluid through the drainage angle. Narrow-angle glaucoma occurs when the iris is very close to the drainage angle and it gets blocked. When it’s completely obstructed an acute attack occurs. The patient should contact an ophthalmologist immediately to avoid going blind.
Symptoms of the narrow-angle type include sudden sight loss, severe eye and head pain, seeing rainbow-colored circles around bright lights, nausea or vomiting (accompanying severe eye pain) and hazy or blurred vision.
You’re more likely to suffer from the disease if you’re obese, get migraines often, have a family history of the condition, or have high blood pressure.
Although nerve damage is irreversible once it happens, glaucoma can be nipped in the bud when discovered early. Treatment is through use of eye drops, pills or surgery. Eye drops are used several times a day to either reduce pressure in the eye or reduce fluid production.
Patients suffering from glaucoma may have other eye diseases such as cataract. An ophthalmologist is best placed to determine if they have other underlying conditions. You should go for glaucoma screening regularly, every 1 to 5 years depending on age. The older you are, the more frequent the screenings should be.
