Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye condition that aims to affect the optic nerves, ultimately leading to visual impairment or blindness. The optic nerves are located at the back of the eye, at the center of the retina and serve as a commuting medium which helps in transmitting visual stimulus between from the eyes towards the brain. Glaucoma is known to be formed by the increasing pressure inside the eye. The increase in intra-ocular pressure or the interior pressure of the eye damages the optic nerves progressively with time and causing permanent loss of the vision if left untreated.

Causes

The increasing pressure in the eye is normally facilitated by the disparity in the fluid called aqueous humor. If the drainage of the fluid is blocked, it causes to build up extra pressure inside the eye, leading to worsening the condition. It is hereditary in nature, hence, anyone with a glaucoma history has a higher amount of chance to pass down the disease to their children. Glaucoma is not restricted to just excessive pressure as other causes like diabetes, eye injury, eye infection and blockage of blood vessels can also pose a risk of forming the condition.

Symptoms

The glaucoma vision loss pattern may not be noticed at the early stages of the condition as the eyes experience no pain at all. The most common symptoms of the disease are red eyes, pain, nausea, blurred vision, and tunnel vision. There are two main types of Glaucoma: Open Angle Glaucoma, caused by improper drainage of fluid and Angle-closure Glaucoma, caused by physical blockage between the iris and cornea. People above the age of 40 years are more prone to cause the disease than the younger population. Moreover, the ethnicity also plays a multiplying factor in chances of the condition, meaning that African-American population is more susceptible to cause the disease. Females are also more vulnerable than men.

Treatment

The diagnosis can be accompanied by following the process such as eye exam and tonometry, where certain factors such as vision and eye pressure are measured. The Glaucoma treatment can be categorized based on the severity of the condition.  The early stages can be treated with eye drops, whereas later stages need a more surgical approach like laser surgery or microsurgery.