Glaucoma

Open angle glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma is an eye condition where the Intraocular Pressure (IOP) becomes elevated and may affect the optic nerve. If this intraocular pressure remains uncontrolled, blindness may develop.

What are the different types of Glaucoma?

There are two main types of glaucoma: 1) Primary "open-angle"
glaucoma and 2) Primary "closed (narrow) angle" glaucoma.

Open angle glaucoma The majority (90%) of the people with glaucoma have the "open-angle" condition. In this type, the drainage channel is open, but the fluid does not freely flow because the meshwork is restricted.

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Primary "closed angle" glaucoma occurs when the drainage channel suddenly becomes closed. This results in high eye pressure and severe eye pain develops. Immediate medical and surgical care is necessary.

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What are the symptoms of Glaucoma?

For open-angle glaucoma, there are usually no symptoms until the vision is severely affected. By this time, vision is permanently lost and cannot be regained. Because of this, it is important that patients have regular appointments to check the pressure in their eyes.

Closed angle glaucoma does have symptoms associated with the very high intraocular pressure. These include, but are not limited to, blurred vision, severe headaches, eye pain, nausea, vomiting, and haloes around lights.

Who gets Glaucoma?

Glaucoma cannot be prevented, but there are risk factors that can
increase the likelihood of developing glaucoma. Risk Factors include 1) Age (older than 40 years), 2) Race (predominance in blacks greater than in white populations), 3) Diabetes, 4) High blood pressure, 5) Nearsightedness, 6) Long-term steroid treatment (oral, eyedrops, injections and nasal sprays), 7) Previous ocular surgery or trauma and 8) Family history. Because glaucoma can be hereditary, any family members of someone with glaucoma should have regular comprehensive eye examinations, especially over the age of forty.

What Glaucoma Testing is Necessary?

Years ago, glaucoma was primarily diagnosed and treated by following the intraocular pressure. Measurement of the intraocular pressure is no longer sufficient to diagnose or follow this condition. Inspection of the optic nerve, (PICTURE) gonioscopy and visual field testing are mandatory components of this diagnosis as well as management. The most recent technology to be
developed for the diagnosis and the follow-up for glaucoma is Nerve Fiber Analysis (GDX). This new laser instrument (GDX) photographs, measures, and documents the optic nerve and Inparticular, measures the nerve fiber layer which is affected early in the glaucoma destructive process.

What is Glaucoma Treatment?