PREVENTING GLAUCOMA

— Dr. Jennifer Emeje, Optometrist.

Medbud Solutions, December 2021

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, classified as primary or secondary.

Glaucoma can affect anyone and is referred to as ‘the sneak thief of sight’ because it is asymptomatic (causes no symptoms) in its initial stages, and even the subsequent loss of peripheral vision easily passes unnoticed.

WHAT IS GLAUCOMA?

Once the damage has been done, it is irreversible, which is why building awareness and encouraging people to go in for regular eye examinations including glaucoma screening is mandatory. How regular these eye examinations should be is determined by several factors including age, race, and family history of the disease.

Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes permanent loss of vision by damaging your optic nerve. This damage occurs due to a rise in the pressure in your eye, caused by a buildup of fluid.  

The most common type of glaucoma, called “primary” open angle glaucoma, is a chronic disturbance of the normal fluid pressure inside the eye and is generally age-related. “Acute” or secondary closed angle glaucoma is rarer and is identified by a sudden, painful shutting down of the mechanisms controlling intraocular fluid pressure.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60. It can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. Many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs. The effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is at an advanced stage. It’s important to have regular eye exams because vision loss due to glaucoma can’t be recovered. If glaucoma is recognized early, vision loss can be slowed or prevented.

If you have the condition, you’ll generally need treatment for the rest of your life.

SYMPTOMS OF GLAUCOMA

Most glaucoma sufferers experience no pain and almost no symptoms. Glaucoma may show some early symptoms including severe pain in the eye or forehead.

There are cases of redness of the eye, sufferers may also report decreased or blurred vision.

Some glaucoma patients see rainbows or halos around bright lights. Patients can also experience nausea and vomiting. 

Glaucoma sufferers usually experience painful light sensitivity or photophobia. This is primarily due to increased pressure in the eye. Crizal coatings for your lenses can help eliminate glare and soothe your eyes, helping alleviate eye discomfort.

The signs and symptoms of glaucoma vary depending on the type and stage of your condition. For example:

A: Open-angle glaucoma• Patchy blind spots in your side (peripheral) or central vision, frequently in both eyes.• Tunnel vision in the advanced stages

B: Acute angle-closure glaucoma• Severe headache• Eye pain• Nausea and vomiting• Blurred vision Halos around lights• Eye redness

If left untreated, glaucoma will eventually cause blindness.

TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR GLAUCOMA

There are different treatment options for glaucoma sufferers, depending on the type or severity of your disease.

Eye Drops these are used to lower the pressure in your eye and are usually a first attempt to control the onset of glaucoma. Often, a combination of several eye drops is required.

Laser Therapy – this treatment varies depending on the severity of your affliction and aims to reduce the pressure in your eye. 

Surgery – when all else fails, surgery is required to repair the damage caused by glaucoma and restore vision.