Description

Eye Pressure (Glaucoma)

Glaucoma, also known as ocular hypertension, is a leading cause of blindness
over 60 years old The aqueous humor is a clear fluid, produced in the eye by
the ciliary body structured behind the iris. If the ciliary body produces too
much aqueous or the aqueous does not drain enough from the eye, the pressure in the eye
increases causing ocular hypertension. It is a disease of the optic nerve (the
part of the eye responsible for carrying the images to the brain). The optic
nerve is made upof huge numbers of nerve fibers. Damage to these nerve fibers
is the result of increased pressure within the eye. The frequency of glaucoma
increases with the age. Regular eye examination is so important for early
diagnose as there are no outward signs of this insidious disease.To raise the
awareness on glaucoma, 12 March is set as World Glaucoma Day.

Symptoms of glaucoma

Primary open angle glaucoma

Angle closure glaucoma

Signs and symptoms of glaucoma differs from one another based on the
mechanism of glaucoma. Headache, eye pain, nausea blurred vision are the symptoms of acute
glaucoma. Primary open angle glaucoma is more insidious as it does not reveal
itself until the sight loss is up to 40 percent. After this occurs, the patient complains about a
spot in his vision or looking
through a tunnel vision. At this point it may be too late for any treatment.

How is glaucoma treated?

After the optic nerve has damaged, sight loss is irreversible. In advanced
cases the treatment is not possible. Because nerve tissue does not regenerate
itself as opposed to many other tissues of the human body. This is why it is so
important to diagnose glaucoma in its early stages and take necessary
precautions. Anyone should visit an eye doctor every two years and get checked
for ocular hypertension for this is an insidious disease which cannot be
diagnosed without proper measurements with
high-tech equipments. However, if it is a
hereditary condition, glaucoma history of any immediate family member, you
should definitely see an eye specialist once a year.

Various treatments exist for different types of glaucoma as eye drops,
laser surgery and drainage surgery. But the basic principle of each treatment
is to lower pressure in the eye. Eye drops reduce the production of the fluid
in the eye or increase its outflow. Laser surgery and drainage surgery aims
increasing aqueos humor outflow to
prevent the disease from advancing.