What is Glaucoma ?
The term “glaucoma” is used to describe a variety of eye conditions that harm your optic nerve. It is the most typical type of optic nerve injury that causes visual loss.
Your eye is under pressure from this additional fluid, which gradually harms your optic nerve. Intraocular pressure (IOP), sometimes known as eye pressure, is the name of this force. Even when their eye pressure is normal, some people get glaucoma. Untreated or improperly managed glaucoma can cause blindness and irreversible vision loss.
How widespread is glaucoma?
An estimated 3 million Americans are thought to suffer from glaucoma, a common age-related eye condition. It is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, right after cataracts.
Types of glaucoma:
Open-angle glaucoma
- No symptoms in early stages
- Gradually, patchy blind spots in your side vision. Side vision also is known as peripheral vision
- In later stages, difficulty seeing things in your central vision.
Acute angle-closure glaucoma
- Severe headache
- Severe eye pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Halos or colored rings around lights
- Eye redness
Normal-tension glaucoma
- No symptoms in early stages
- Gradually, blurred vision
- In later stages, loss of side vision
Glaucoma in children
- A dull or cloudy eye (infants)
- Increased blinking (infants)
- Tears without crying (infants)
- Blurred vision
- Nearsightedness that gets worse
- Headache
Pigmentary glaucoma:
- Halos around lights
- Blurred vision with exercise
- Gradual loss of side vision
Symptoms :
- Eye pain or pressure.
- Headaches.
- Rainbow-colored halos around lights.
- Low vision, blurred vision, narrowed vision (tunnel vision) or blind spots.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Red eyes.
Eye exams can assess Glaucoma:
1.Dilated eye exam
2.Ocular pressure test (tonometry)
3.Visual acuity test
4.Pachymetry
5.Slit-lamp exam.
