Glaucoma is an eye infection that damages the optic nerve of an eye. The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain. This infection is caused when the white fluid starts building up in the outermost layer of the eye. This, in turn, increases pressure in the eye causing an infection. It must be treated on a priority basis as delay in the treatment can cause loss of vision. Glaucoma is common among people of the 70s and 80s age bracket.
Types of glaucoma
There are several types of glaucoma that can vary based on their symptoms:
Open-angle glaucoma:
This is the most common among adults as it develops over time and is caused by the blockage in the drainage channels in the eye.
Acute angle-closure glaucoma
This also clogs the drainage channel which results in pressure in the eye.
Secondary glaucoma:
An underlying eye condition is a primary cause of this type of glaucoma. Any chronic eye condition may also lead to glaucoma.
Childhood glaucoma:
In this type, children of a very young age may have abnormalities in their eyes.
Symptoms
The symptoms do not usually appear instantly. The infection develops over many years and affects the peripheral vision first. This is the sole reason that many people are unable to realize that they have glaucoma unless and until it is caught during a normal routine eye test. The initial signs include blurred vision or seeing rainbow-colored circles around bright lights. The infection may occur in one or both eyes. It may be worse in one eye mostly.
Factors affecting the effects of glaucoma:
There are multiple factors that are responsible for developing glaucoma:
- Age
- Medical conditions like long or short-sightedness
- Family history.
- Ethnicity – people of African, Caribbean, or Asian descent are at high risk of developing glaucoma
Causes of glaucoma
As it develops over time so the causes and symptoms may vary but the most causes include:
- Intense eye pain
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Reddening of eye
- Headache
- Blurred rings around lights
When is medical advice recommended?
A visit to the optician is highly recommended to do a proper diagnosis. If you have a glaucoma scare then early diagnosis and treatment can stop the worsening effects of glaucoma.
Treatment
If the vision is lost due to glaucoma before the diagnosis then it is not possible to reverse the effects but opticians can make sure that there is no further loss of vision. The opticians may deduce the treatment based on the type of glaucoma you have. Certain options are:
- Eye drops to reduce pressure and redness in the eyes. The eye drops for glaucoma can be easily purchased from Pricepro pharmacy which offers a bonus discount offer on the purchase of eye drops.
- Laser treatment – this is done to open the clogged drainage channels inside the eyes and to reduce the further build-up of fluid in the eyes
- Surgery – to open and clear the drainage tubes so that the fluid may pass through easily
