Glaucoma is a common eye condition that usually occurs in people with diabetes and eye pressure issues. It can’t be cured but it can be stopped and reduces with proper eye care and regular visits to the optometrist. If left ignored, glaucoma can lead to severe eye damage and in some cases even complete vision loss.
What is Glaucoma?
The optic nerve consists of over 1 million nerve fibers. It is the main connection between the eyes and the brain. The retina gathers the visual information and the brain processes it. So the optic nerve is crucial in having proper vision. Depending on the cause and characteristics there are many types of glaucoma and what each of them has in common is the fact they disrupt the functionality of the optic nerve. This is why the worse side effect of glaucoma is permanent blindness.
Symptoms
Some people have glaucoma as a possible disease stacked somewhere in their genetic material. If the occasion arises and certain factors come into place, these people become vulnerable and can easily start experiencing some of the glaucoma symptoms such as tunnel vision, haziness, eye redness, eye pain, headaches, nausea, blurry vision and seeing occasional halos. Remember that glaucoma is difficult to detect when in earlier stages of development, so regular inspections at the optometrist are necessary.
Main Types of Glaucoma
Even though the exact causes applicable for every glaucoma patient haven’t been discovered, experts succeeded in identifying 2 main types of this condition: open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma. The first one is the most common one and is also called wide-angle glaucoma.
Open-angle glaucoma: 90% of glaucoma patients are facing the open-angle type. Even though the eye fluid isn’t properly draining, patients with open-angle glaucoma have normally looking drainage structures. Without proper fluid drainage, pressure in the eye builds up and causes damage to the optic nerve. This type of glaucoma can go undetected for years as it hasn’t got any warning signs except vision loss in the later stages.
Angle-closure glaucoma: considered more of a medical emergency than a slowly developing eye condition, angle-closure glaucoma requires immediate medical treatment. It develops with the appearance of a certain clog or blockage within the eye drainage system. Because they narrow in size, eye fluid starts leaves the drainage pipes and therefore the actual eye. This type of glaucoma results in suddenly increased eye pressure, redness, and blurred vision.
When To Visit The Optometrist?
As said before, the exact rule for glaucoma development hasn’t been discovered yet. The various types reveal themselves in many different ways. Generally, it is a genetically transmitted condition if your family’s medical history is filled with blood pressure issues and vision loss an annual eye inspection is highly recommended. High eye pressure isn’t a determining factor for glaucoma development as some people who do not have eye pressure issues have developed glaucoma and others which do, haven’t. This condition can also develop after an eye injury or a surgery went bad. These can physically reshape parts of your eyes and cause damage to the optic nerves. Other factors which can cause glaucoma are diabetes, severe refractive errors, corticosteroid medication, thin corneas, high blood pressure, facial paralysis, and old age. Glaucoma can be stopped from furtherly developing with eye treatment and medication. To increase your chances of avoiding glaucoma development, eye doctor visits should be added to your calendar. Depending on age, regular eye exams should be done from annually to every 5 years.
About Eyeconcept
Eyeconcept in Oakville offers eye care services such as eye exams, children eye exams & contact lens. Book your eye exam with our optometrist at Eyeconcept Oakville and visit us in store to find the perfect pair of prescription glasses or sunglasses.
