A Small Dive into Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an ocular disease, specifically a group of eye diseases that specifically target the optic nerve in the back of the eye. The optic nerve is important in its ability to transmit electrical signal from the eye to the brain, which allows the brain to process the information. There are many different types of Glaucoma, but the most prevalent one is open-angle glaucoma, with 90% of most Glaucoma cases being open-angle. Open-angle glaucoma occurs when there is increased intra-ocular pressure, and if there is a cause for the pressure, this is termed secondary glaucoma. In the beginning, Glaucoma’s symptoms are hard to detect, which is why visits to the optometrist are incredibly important (Mostly due to the Visual Field Test and the Comprehensive Dilation Test). As time goes on, you would notice a decrease in peripheral vision (essentially the outer edges of your vision), and eventually would lead to permanent blindness.

Glaucoma isn’t curable, but there are treatments to delay it severely. For example, while scientists don’t know what causes glaucoma, we do know that there is a close relation with higher pressure in the eye, so treatments that focus on lowering ocular pressure are helpful in delaying Glaucoma. The treatments range from different kinds of medication (mostly eye drops); Laser trabeculoplasty, which is a procedure that increases the amount of drainage of eye fluid; and Surgery.

Stay Safe.

Sources:

https://eyewiki.aao.org/Primary_Open-Angle_Glaucoma#:~:text=Primary%20open%20angle%20glaucoma%20(POAG,this%20is%20termed%20secondary%20glaucoma.

https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma#:~:text=Glaucoma%20is%20a%20group%20of,a%20comprehensive%20dilated%20eye%20exam.

https://www.brightfocus.org/glaucoma/article/treatments-open-angle-glaucoma#:~:text=Treatments%20for%20open%2Dangle%20glaucoma%20include%20medications%20(usually%20eye%20drops,trabecular%20meshwork)%2C%20and%20surgery.