Most of the people who suffer by glaucoma do know what it is all about. Here are a few words sent by one of the visitors of this site that describe the illness pretty well. The visitor also sent us some advice so I invite you to read the message.
Glaucoma affects the optic nerve and reduces the patient’s vision quite dramatically. If the optic nerve becomes damaged then it can no longer carry information to the retina or the brain. Your eye requires a certain amount of pressure to keep the eyeball in place if eye pressure is raised then this can cause glaucoma or a weakened optic nerve may cause this disease.
There are two main different categories of glaucoma: open and closed angle. Closed angle is the worst of the two as it can appear quickly and painfully however this means that it is more likely to be treated sooner and less damage occurs. Open angle glaucoma takes longer to become noticeable and once sight has been lost the disease has caused major damage. There are two other rarer types of glaucoma secondary glaucoma which is caused by eye pressure rising and congenital glaucoma that is caused malformations in the eye in babies. Unfortunately there are few symptoms of glaucoma so regular checkups to the ophthalmologist or optometrist are important as they are trained to notice any changes to your optic nerve.
Glaucoma is a fairly common group of diseases that affects 1 in 200 people aged over 50 and 1 in 10 persons aged over 80. People who have a family history of glaucoma are more likely to develop this condition compared to those that haven’t. These people are likely to be checked yearly for signs of glaucoma so that they can be treated once the onset occurs to either slow or remove the disease. Those that have increased eye pressure or ocular hypertension are more likely to develop glaucoma as well as those that use steroids for an increased amount of time. Patients of African and Asian descent are also more at risk than others.
Treatment for glaucoma can be in the form of eye drops which must be taken correctly and as prescribed which many patients fail to do therefore resulting in vision loss. Surgery can also be undertaken to treat glaucoma either by laser or conventionally. However this is only a temporary measure as there is not yet a cure. Many people can drive with glaucoma unless their sight loss is advanced. If vision is affected sight aids are available from the patient’s opticians or ophthalmologist.
