A glaucoma is a group of eye diseases where an increase in intraocular pressure (eye pressure) may cause damage to the optic nerve (nerve in the back of the eye) leading to irreversible vision loss and blindness.  

In the early stage, the symptoms may go unnoticed so the only way to find out would be to get a comprehensive eye exam.  

Glaucoma cannot be cured but the progression can be slowed by early diagnosis and treatment which may stop the optic nerve damage and protect the vision.

Types of Glaucoma

There are different type like open angle glaucoma, angle closure glaucoma and childhood glaucomas. The most common is open angle glaucoma.

What are the symptoms?

Most of the time you don’t have any symptoms that is why almost 50% of the people won’t know about their disease. Slowly the vision starts deteriorating; first the peripheral vison will decrease. Most of the time patients won’t even notice the slow change in their vision. Over the time the vision will get worse so much so that you won’t even be able to see near objects. Without treatment glaucoma will lead into blindness.

Are you risk for glaucoma?

Age over 40 years

Family history of glaucoma

Some medications like steroids

When to seek emergency help

Angle-closure glaucoma can cause these sudden symptoms like:

Intense eye pain, may associate with nausea or vomiting

Red eye

Blurry vision

If you have these symptoms, go to your doctor or an emergency immediately.

What causes glaucoma?

Scientists aren’t sure about the causes of glaucoma, but most patients with glaucoma have high eye pressure — and treatments that lower eye pressure help to slow the disease. 

There’s no way to prevent glaucoma. That’s why eye exams are very important — so you and your doctor can find it before it affects your vision.

How will the doctor check your eye for glaucoma?

A detailed comprehensive eye examination will be done by instilling some eye drop to dilate (widen) your pupil (central black part of the eye) to see your eye pressure and the back part of the eye and the nerve.

Some tests like visual fields, OCT and disc photos (pictures of the back part of the eye and the nerve) will be taken. All these tests will be painless.

What are the treatments?

Medicines: to decrease the eye pressure and to protect the optic nerve from getting damaged.

Lasers: to drain the help the fluid drain out of the eye to decrease the eye pressure. It is a simple and painless procedure which can be done in the clinic.

Surgery: if the pressure is not controlled by either medicines or lasers. There are different types of glaucoma surgeries. 

Glaucoma is a serious chronic disease so always remember to-

Take the prescribed medicines regularly.

Go for timely follow ups.

Report the side effects of the medicines if any to the doctor.

Be careful about your vision and inform the doctor if it is deteriorating.

Encourage your family members to get an eye checkup as sometimes it runs in the family.

Some facts

In normal tension glaucoma eye pressure is not raised and is normal.

Glaucoma can happen in one or in both the eyes.

What is normal eye pressure for some can be high for others.

Children as young as new born can have glaucoma too!!

Understand the disease properly by talking to your doctor in detail before taking any treatment.