Glaucoma is a silent killer of your eyes. It can cause blindness by damaging the optic nerve that carries the signals from the eyes to the brain. This damage leads to permanent loss of vision.
This condition arises due to the increased internal pressure of one or both eyes. But sometimes it also occurs with normal eye pressure.
It is considered a silent disease because it does not show symptoms in the early stages, rather only comprehensive eye testing can detect glaucoma. So it is important to visit your eye specialist often, especially when you also have risk factors for glaucoma. You can consult the best eye specialist in Karachi through Marham.
Here are some major facts about glaucoma that you should know:
What are the risk factors of glaucoma?
Here are some of the major risk factors that increase the chance of occurrence of glaucoma in you.
- Age above 45 years
- Family history of glaucoma
- Black racial ancestry
- Diabetes
- History of elevated intraocular pressure
- The decrease in corneal thickness and rigidity
- Nearsightedness that is the inability to see distant objects clearly
- History of injury to the eye
- Use of steroids, either in the eye or systemically (orally or injected)
A person having two or more risk factors of glaucoma should consult the health professional annually for a regular check-up.
What are the signs and symptoms of glaucoma?
The symptoms of glaucoma vary with its types. But the common symptoms of this problem are;
- Intense eye pain.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Red-eye.
- A headache.
- Tenderness around the eyes.
- Seeing rings around lights.
- Blurred vision.
When the patient starts losing vision, the patient usually loses peripheral vision. And it seems like the patient has tunnel vision or as if “looking through a straw”.
What are the different types of glaucoma?
There are several types of glaucoma, but the most common ones are;
Open-angle glaucoma
It is the most common type of glaucoma. It is caused by the slow clogging of the drainage canals, resulting in increased eye pressure. In this condition, a patient has a wide and open angle between the iris and cornea. It develops slowly and is a lifelong condition.
Closed-angle glaucoma
It is a less common form of glaucoma. It is caused by blocked drainage canals, resulting in a sudden rise in intraocular pressure. The patient has a closed or narrow angle between the iris and cornea. It develops very quickly and demands immediate medical attention.
Normal-tension glaucoma:
In this case, the pressure of the eye remains normal. But the optic nerve becomes damaged. The cause behind this type of glaucoma is unknown.
Congenital glaucoma
As the name indicates, it is a by-birth defect due to the poor development of the eye and its nerve. It occurs in babies.
What is the major treatment of glaucoma?
Glaucoma cannot be fully cured. It is a manageable condition not curable. Usually, Glaucoma is treated by lowering your eye pressure. Depending on the situation, your options may include prescription eye drops, oral medications, laser treatment, surgery, or a combination of any of these.
With any type of glaucoma, regular eye examinations are very important to detect progression and to prevent vision loss.
You can consult the best eye specialist in Pakistan if you think yourself at a high risk of glaucoma. Because of early detection and managing of this disease is only the solution.