Glaucoma?
Important Information About Glaucoma You Should Know
Glaucoma, also called the “sneak thief of sight,” is a serious eye disease that can cause permanent blindness if not diagnosed and treated in time. In honor of National Glaucoma Awareness Month every January, we would like to share some very important information about glaucoma that you will benefit from knowing.
Approximately three million people in the United States have some type of glaucoma eye disease. Based on available data, the National Eye Institute projects this number to climb to approximately 4.2 million people by the year 2030.
This important information about glaucoma is for informational purposes. If you suspect you have any of the symptoms of eye glaucoma, we recommend immediately scheduling an appointment with your trusted eye care provider. Let’s start with some basic facts about glaucoma.
Some basic facts about glaucoma:
Only about 50% of the 3 million Americans with glaucoma get diagnosed
Higher rates among people of African-American, Asian or Latino/Hispanic heritage
African-Americans are 5x more likely to get glaucoma and 6x more likely to go blind
Up to 40% of sight can be lost before glaucoma is diagnosed
If undiagnosed and treated, glaucoma can cause permanent blindness
What are the Causes of Glaucoma?
At the present time, the causes of glaucoma are still a mystery. Although pressure on the optic nerve (also called “ocular hypertension”) is considered to be a significant risk factor, even people whose eye pressure is well within the “normal” range get glaucoma too.
Genetic disposition might explain the disproportionately high rate of glaucoma in people with East Asian, Central/South American and African-American heritage. However, at this time researchers still cannot say with any certainty.
Glaucoma Risk Factors
Although the exact cause of glaucoma remains a mystery, we have identified several glaucoma risk factors. Glaucoma risk factors include:
Age (40+)
Family history
Previous eye injury
Far or near-oriented eyesight
Use of steroid-based medication
Diabetes, high blood pressure/hypertension, poor circulation
The Symptoms of Eye Glaucoma
There are two primary types of age-related Macular Degeneration: Wet Form and Dry Form. By performing a retinal eye scan, your optometrist can detect both forms.
normal field of vision
Normal Field of Vision
field of vision with glaucoma eye disease
Field of Vision with Advanced Glaucoma
The symptoms of Glaucoma range significantly depending on the type of glaucoma someone suffers from. Some people do not experience any of the symptoms of eye glaucoma until significant vision loss occurs. For other people, the symptoms of eye glaucoma are very hard to ignore. These symptoms can include:
Vision becomes blurry
The eyes redden permanently
Sensitivity to light and/or soreness of the eyes
Lights appear to have “halos” around them
Sudden onset of visual disturbance, especially in low light
Severe eye pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting
Tunnel vision (toward the later stages of the disease)
It is very important to understand that the symptoms of eye glaucoma can also be caused by other types of diseases and illnesses too. If you have ANY of these symptoms, regardless of severity, we urge you to immediately contact and schedule an appointment with your trusted eye care professional.
The Different Types of Glaucoma Eye Disease
a woman's eye with glaucoma
Acute angle closure glaucoma of the right eye (intraocular pressure was 42 in the right eye). Note the mid sized pupil on the left that was not reactive to light and conjunctivitis. Photo taken by James Heilman, MD.
There are several differing types of glaucoma eye disease:
Low or Normal Tension Glaucoma is still a mystery
Open-Angle Glaucoma (most common) occurs when fluid from the eye passes too slowly for too long through the open drainage “channel” where the iris and cornea meet
Angle-Closure Glaucoma (less common) occurs when the drainage angle closes because part of the iris is blocking it
Congenital Glaucoma occurs at birth, is generally easily diagnosable, and with surgery children can have a good prognosis for vision health in life
Pigmentary Glaucoma (rare) is a complication of pigment dispersion syndrome, which occurs when pigment granules from the iris flake off into eye fluid
Traumatic Glaucoma is the result of injury to the eye by blunt trauma, flying debris and/or bleeding
Additionally, two different types of glaucoma eye disease can occur as the byproduct of associated medical conditions:
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