Understanding Glaucoma

What is Glaucoma? 

You may have heard of Glaucoma but may not necessarily know what it is or why some people get it. In this post, we will tell you more about Glaucoma, the symptoms and treatments available.
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So what exactly is Glaucoma?

The Optic nerve is a nerve that connects our eyes to the brain. It’s possible that this nerve can get damaged and when it does, it can cause sight loss. Glaucoma is the name for eye condition that causes sight loss and is often linked to a high eye pressure. 

Types of Glaucoma
Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG).

• This is the most common form of Glaucoma and is most associated with those who are older.

 
Secondary Glaucoma.

• Secondary Glaucoma can occur as a side effect of certain medications or an eye injury.

Normal Tension Glaucoma

• Some patients may present eye pressure as being in the normal range but can still be diagnosed with Normal Tension Glaucoma.

Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma

• Commonly known as Closed Angle Glaucoma, this is where the eye pressure rises suddenly and can damage the Optic Nerve.

Congenital Glaucoma

• This is also known as childhood Glaucoma and is present from birth.

Did you know?  
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. This is because there’s about  60 million people worldwide living with Glaucoma

Who is at risk from Glaucoma?
Anyone can get Glaucoma and if detected early enough, damage from Glaucoma can be prevented
Age is a factor in diagnosing Glaucoma. It is most common in adults over the age of 70.
Research also shows that Ethnicity can  play a part in who may contract certain types of Glaucoma.
 
Spotting the signs of Glaucoma
Usually Glaucoma occurs slowly and unfortunately the symptoms aren’t always noticeable until some damage to the eyes has occurred.
Having said that, some symptoms are noticeable to patients for example someone may experience blurred vision or eye pain.
Other symptoms can include:

• Blurred or reduced vision
• When looking at bright lights, seeing rings around them
• Sudden, intense eye pain. (may also be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, headaches)
• Red eye

Getting a diagnosis
We always suggest going to see an Optician or Optometrist regularly for your routine appointments as Glaucoma is usually diagnosed following an eye test.
When having an eye test, your Optician/Optometrist may well suggest having an eye pressure test. This is where they examine the front part of the eye. During this test, they will see whether there’s any issues with fluid drainage.
During your eye test, you will also have a visual field test to see if there’s any loss of your peripheral vision
If the professional performing your eye test does suspect Glaucoma, then they will refer you to a specialist for further treatment and diagnosis.
Treatment for Glaucoma
The following treatments are available for treating Glaucoma
 

• Eye drops – The eye drops recommended to the patient will improve any fluid damage
• Laser eye treatment – This is a small procedure completed under local anaesthetic to help lower the patients eye pressure.
• Trabeculectomy. This is a surgical procedure. It’s not as commonly used and a specialist will create a new channel within the eye to help improve fluid drainage.