Glaucoma: Early Detection and Treatment Strategies

Glaucoma is known as the secret thief of sight and is one of the leading causes of vision loss in most of the developed countries. Half of Americans with this condition are undiagnosed because, glaucoma does not show any symptom in the initial stages and when it is diagnosed in the last stage, most of the vision gets lost. This is why it is known as the ‘silent thief of sight’. Unless special equipments are not employed to diagnose the condition, it cannot be detected in the early stage.

Glaucoma is not like other diseases which occur during ageing. It requires early detection to avoid vision loss. Only with appropriate treatment, the loss of vision can be slowed down. When this condition occurs and is on the mid stage, the retinal nerves get damaged. Even surgery cannot reverse the damage.

Definition of glaucoma:

It is the name given to a group of vision deteriorating eye diseases, which damages the optic nerve as well as the back of the eye. The optic nerve is one of the most important parts in our eyes, which is responsible for transferring signal to the eyes from brain. When it is left untreated, it can lead to blindness. There are also many forms of glaucoma.

Primary open angle glaucoma:

Angle is known as the space between the iris and cornea. In this condition the angle is normal, but the aqueous humour is not able to filter the eye, leading to intraocular pressure. The pressure is responsible for damaging the optic nerve.

Acute angle closure glaucoma:

It occurs when the angle is narrow and there is no regular flow of intraocular fluid. In this condition also, intraocular pressure can build up and the pupil gets blocked by the natural lens. Some medications are also known to cause this condition. It can also occur during an eye test during dilation of the pupils. This condition is most commonly associated with Asians.

Congenital glaucoma:

This condition is caused genetically and is also rare. It is diagnosed during birth and causes the drainage portion of eye to malfunction. This condition can be treated with the help of a surgery.

Secondary glaucoma:

This condition is caused because of another condition such as a disease or trauma. Pigment dispersion syndrome, is nothing but the pigment present in the iris clogs the eyes drainage system. This condition is also known to cause secondary glaucoma. However it can be managed with the help of eye drops. Exfoliated cells present in the natural lens of our eyes can also clog the drainage system and is known as pseudo exfoliation syndrome. Abnormal vessel growth in the iris is also known to block the drainage and is also difficult to manage. When you are playing cricket and if the ball hits your eyes unexpectedly, it can cause the drainage system to malfunction and also prevents the intraocular fluid outflow.

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