Glaucoma is a general name for a group of eye diseases that affect the optic nerve, which is responsible for transmitting information from the eye to the brain. It is located at the back of the eye, where damage to this nerve can lead to loss of vision.
At first, a person suffering from glaucoma feels a decrease in his field of vision in the edges of the eye, and if glaucoma is not treated, vision loss may gradually worsen, which may lead to complete loss of vision over time.
There are three types of glaucoma:
* Open-angle glaucoma (Wide - angle glaucoma / Open - angle glaucoma).
* Narrow - angle glaucoma (Narrow - angle glaucoma) or closed - angle (Closed - angle).
* Congenital glaucoma.
Symptoms of glaucoma:
If someone suffers from open-angle glaucoma, vision loss is likely to be the only symptom they will experience. You may not notice this until open-angle glaucoma becomes severe and vision loss becomes serious, because the unaffected eye compensates for the affected eye in the early stages of open-angle glaucoma. Peripheral vision (the ability to see things that are not directly in front of the eye) is often affected before central vision (the vision that results from light rays falling directly on the eye's central macula).
Symptoms of open-angle glaucoma are fairly mild, such as occasional blurred vision for a short period of time, but the more severe symptoms that indicate narrow-angle glaucoma include blurred vision for longer periods of time, pain around the eye, seeing some halos around bright points of light, red eyes, nausea and vomiting.
Symptoms of congenital glaucoma usually include watery eyes and hypersensitivity to light, and children may have additional symptoms such as constant itching, squinting or closing the eyes most of the time.
Causes and risk factors of glaucoma:
Damage to the optic nerve is generally caused by excessive pressure inside the eye. This can happen when there is an excess of fluids accumulating inside the eye, either because the eye itself produces an excess of fluids or because there is a problem in draining the fluids produced by the eye. However, there are cases in which glaucoma occurs and is not caused by high pressure inside the eye. In these cases, the cause of glaucoma cannot be identified or determined.
Glaucoma may also occur as a result of an eye injury, eye surgery, or a cancerous tumor in the eye. There are also some medications such as corticosteroids that are used to treat various other diseases that may lead to glaucoma.
Complications of glaucoma:
*Chronic corneal edema.
*Loss of central or side vision.
*Loss of vision or changes in vision.
Diagnosis of glaucoma:
The treating physician asks the patient questions about the symptoms he suffers from and then conducts a comprehensive physical examination. If the doctor suspects that a person suffers from glaucoma, he will refer him directly to an ophthalmologist to complete the examinations.
An ophthalmologist or optometrist can diagnose and treat glaucoma, but an optometrist is not qualified or authorized to diagnose and treat glaucoma.
If anyone notices the appearance of black spots in his field of vision, or problems and difficulties in vision that persist for a long time and get worse and worse, he should see a doctor immediately to clarify the matter. The doctor should also be seen if the person knows of previous injuries in family members, i.e. a family history of open-angle glaucoma, if he is 70 years old or older or if he suffers from diabetes.
Treatment of glaucoma:
In most cases, glaucoma is treated with medications such as eye drops. It is important to use the drops daily and consistently to achieve their expected effectiveness, and there may be a need to take medications for life. Even more, it may require laser treatment or surgery.
For the elderly, treatment cannot restore the vision they have lost, but it can help them maintain the status quo, as the treatment is designed to stop the destruction of the optic nerve by reducing the pressure inside the eye.
Receiving the diagnosis of glaucoma can have a severe psychological impact, especially since they may have lost more of their vision during that time, but the right advice and appropriate guidance can help them find many ways and means through which they can maintain a normal quality of life.
Different glasses can be used, such as glasses to enlarge printed letters or glasses to watch TV, etc., all of which can help combat glaucoma.
Prevention of glaucoma:
* Get regular dilated eye exams.
* Know your family's eye health history.
* Take prescribed eye drops regularly.
* Wear eye protection.
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