Glaucoma: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, & Treatment

Glaucoma is caused due to damage to the optic nerve and it is due to increase in eye pressure.

Glaucoma is a name for various eye conditions that together damage the optic nerve of the eye. The optic nerve is responsible for sending visual information from the eye to the brain thus resulting in good vision. There can be various reasons for damage to the optic nerve, high pressure in your eye being one of the reasons. But glaucoma can happen even with normal eye pressure.

Glaucoma can occur at any age but commonly affects older adults. It is one of the common causes of blindness in people over the age of 60. Several types of glaucoma have no warning signs and the effect may be so subtle and gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is in its later stages.

In cases of early detection of glaucoma, people will not have to suffer vision loss or it may be slowed down. Thus, we are here with more information on glaucoma- causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Glaucoma: Types & Symptoms 

According to the US NIH, the common signs and symptoms of different types of Glaucoma are:

Open-Angle Glaucoma

• No symptoms in early stages

• Gradual patchy blind spots in the side vision.

• Difficulty seeing things in central vision at later stages

Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma

• Headache

• Eye pain

• Nausea or vomiting

• Blurred vision

• Colored rings around lights

• Red eyes

Normal-Tension Glaucoma

• No symptoms in early stages

• Gradually blurred vision

• Loss of side vision in advanced the stage

Pigmentary Glaucoma

• Halos around lights

• Blurred vision

• Gradual loss of side vision

Glaucoma: Causes 

Glaucoma develops when the optic nerve is damaged. The damage in the optic nerve results in blind spots in the vision and this may be due to the increased eye pressure. An increase in eye pressure may be due to fluid buildup that flows throughout the inside of the eye. This fluid is known as the aqueous humor and it drains through a tissue located at the angle where the iris and cornea meet. The cornea lets light into the eye. The eye pressure may increase when the eye makes too much fluid or the drainage system doesn't work properly.

• Open-Angle Glaucoma is a condition in which the drainage angle formed by the iris and cornea remains open and certain parts of the drainage system don't drain properly. This may lead to a slow, gradual increase in eye pressure.

• Angle-Closure Glaucoma is a condition that occurs when the iris bulges partially or completely thus blocking the drainage angle due to which the fluid can't circulate through the eye and pressure increases.

• Normal-Tension Glaucoma is a condition in which the optic nerve is damaged even when there is no change in eye pressure. The optic nerve may be sensitive or experience less blood flow. This may be caused by the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.

• Pigmentary glaucoma is a condition in which small pigment granules flake off from the iris and block or slow fluid drainage from the eye. The granule deposits cause an increase in pressure.

Glaucoma: Diagnosis 

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, your healthcare provider will review your medical history and take a comprehensive eye examination. Several tests may include:

• Measurement of intraocular pressure

• Imaging tests to see if there is any damage caused to the optic nerve

• Checking areas for vision loss, also known as a visual field test

• Measuring corneal thickness with pachymetry

• Gonioscopy in which the drainage angle is inspected

Glaucoma: Treatment 

The damage caused to the optic nerve cannot be reversed but there can be ways and treatments to slow or prevent vision loss.

According to doctors of Cleveland Clinic, Glaucoma is treated by lowering intraocular pressure, and treatment options include prescription eye drops, oral medicines, laser treatment, surgery, or a combination of approaches.

• Eye drops may help decrease eye pressure by improving fluid drainage from your eye. Others may help decrease the amount of fluid your eye makes.

• Oral medications may help bring down the pressure to the desired level. The medicine may be a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor with few side effects including frequent urination, tingling in the fingers and toes, depression, stomach upset, and kidney stones.

• Laser therapy in which a small laser is used to improve the drainage of the tissue located at the angle where the iris and cornea meet. It may take a few weeks for this treatment to show results.

• Filtering surgery creates another space for fluid to leave the eye.

• Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) to lower your eye pressure. They are often combined with cataract surgery.