What Is Glaucoma And How Is It Treated?

There are countless problems that can affect the eyes. Fortunately, many of these can be treated through surgical intervention or the use of corrective lenses. There are even many preventative strategies that can be used to delay the onset of progressive, chronic eye conditions. If you're having problems with your visions that glasses or surgical procedures cannot resolve, you may be asking the question, “What is glaucoma and how is it treated?”.

Rather than being a single eye disease, glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that all directly affect the amount of fluid pressure in the eyes. As this pressure gradually increases, people can begin to develop blind spots or total vision loss. The most common type of glaucoma is called open-angle glaucoma.

Although the exact cause of this illness is not yet fully understood, what is known is the manner in which it affects the eye and the various risk factors that exist. There is a small area at the forefront of the eye. This is known as the antechamber. The fluid inside of this chamber bathes the interior eye tissues and nourishes them. If the fluid here does not drain at an acceptable rate, pressure can start to increase. This in turn causes damage to the optic nerve.

There are some people who can actually tolerate higher pressure levels at the interior of the eye. They might exhibit some of the signs of glaucoma, but never develop progressive vision loss. Others, however, may experience waning vision even with moderately elevated levels of fluid pressure.

In the United States, the current leading cause of blindness is glaucoma. There are a number of people who have a high likelihood of developing this condition whether due to family history or ethnicity. For instance, if one or more of your immediate family members has been diagnosed with this illness, you should receive routine glaucoma testing as part of your annual or bi-annual eye exams.

African Americans and Mexican Americans are also at higher risk for this illness. People over the age of 40 should receive glaucoma testing, particularly if exhibiting a thinning or decrease of blood vessels on or around the optic nerve or the nerve cup. This is a brief test to gauge whether or not the individual has lost any portion of his or her peripheral vision. During this test, small images or pulses of light are flashed on either side of the direct line of sight while the patient notes whether or not these were seen.

It is not currently possibly to cure glaucoma. There are, however, some surgical measures that may be taken in order to preserve vision and delay the progression of this illness. These procedures are performed on a case by case basis and only in instances in which the potential benefits outweigh the associated risks.

For the best prognosis, early diagnosis is critical. This is why it is important for people to have their eyes examined by a licensed professional on a regular basis, even if they are not currently exhibiting any signs of deteriorating vision. This is especially true for all individuals who belong in a statistically high risk group for this illness.