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What is Glaucoma? |  |
The word glaucoma means green tumor in Greek (glaucos-green, oma-tumor) - The eye was also rock-hard giving the impression of a tumor in the eye - hence the name glaucoma. It is a “Silent Stealer” of Sight. Glaucoma is a condition where there is increase in the eye pressure or Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP) beyond normal eye pressure.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steals sight without warning and often without symptoms. Vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. This nerve acts like an electric cable with over a million wires and is responsible for carrying the images we see to the brain.
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What is IOP (Intra-ocular Pressure)? | |
Intraocular pressure (IOP) is t he inner pressure of the eye. Normal intraocular pressure usually ranges from 12-22 mm Hg, although people with relatively low pressures can still have glaucoma (see normal tension glaucoma).
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What causes high pressure inside the eye? What causes Glaucoma? | |
Glaucoma occurs as a result of build–up of fluid in the eyeball. Imagine that the inside of the eye is like a sink with the tap always running and the drain always opens. If the drain of the sink gets clogged, water starts building up in the sink. Like water in the sink, the fluid in our eyes moves in and out. This fluid (aqueous humor) nourishes our eye and keeps it healthy. In people with glaucoma, the drain in the eye (trabecular meshwork) is blocked and fluid can’t run out of the eyeball. The fluid keeps getting accumulated in the eye and the intra-ocular pressure increases in the eye.
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What are the symptoms of Glaucoma? | |
There are usually no symptoms that you're developing glaucoma until vision loss occurs, which is why it's so important to have regular eye exams. Your eye doctor can diagnose and treat high IOP before it progresses to optic nerve damage and vision loss. Certain symptoms may be Headaches, Gradual reduction in vision, Pain in the eyes, frequent change in spectacles, Haloes (colored rings) around light, Missing areas in the field of vision.
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Who is at most risk for Glaucoma? | |
If you're over age 60, diabetic person, certain medication (steroid user), or have a family member with glaucoma, you are at higher risk for glaucoma than others.
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How is Glaucoma diagnosed? What are the different tests to detect Glaucoma? | |
Series of tests helps your ophthalmologist to detect glaucoma
- Slit-lamp biomicroscopy – To see the anterior portion of your eyes
- Tonometry – Detects pressure of your eyes (normal range is 17–22 mm of Hg)
- Perimetry – Detects the field of vision
- Ophthalmoscopy – Helps to checks the inside of your eyes (fundus)
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How is Glaucoma treated? | |
Doctors usually prescribe special eye drops that reduce intraocular pressure. These are used one or several times a day, depending on the medication. If the drops don't work, surgery or laser treatment may be the next step.
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Are there different types of Glaucoma? | |
Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common form of glaucoma. The other types are: normal-tension, narrow-angle, closed-angle, congenital, pigmentary and secondary.
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Is there any way to prevent Glaucoma? | |
Doctors don't know of any way to prevent glaucoma. A better step would be to avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, eat a healthy diet, keep your weight down, exercise, take nutritional products and be sure to see your eye specialist on a regular basis.
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Is Glaucoma curable? | |
No, but it's important to treat glaucoma, because it can cause blindness.
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Can I still have LASIK surgery if I have Glaucoma? | |
Glaucoma is usually a disqualifier for LASIK.
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My ophthalmologist says that I am a Glaucoma suspect. What does that mean? | |
A glaucoma suspect is a person whom the ophthalmologist is concerned may have or may develop glaucoma. Your ophthalmologist may be concerned about the elevated pressure inside the eyes or the appearance of the optic nerves. Some people may have pressures that are higher than normal, but they do not develop glaucoma. Other people have optic nerves that might appear to be damaged but, in fact, are actually normal for them, just as people can be taller or shorter than average.
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If I have Glaucoma, how often do I need to be checked? | |
The frequency of your checkups depends on the severity of your glaucoma. If the glaucoma is extremely mild or if you are a low-risk glaucoma suspect, you may only need to be examined on an annual basis. For more severe glaucoma, examinations may need to be done monthly, or possibly even more frequently, until the glaucoma stabilizes. Once the glaucoma is stable, examinations every 3-6 months are usually appropriate.
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