Glaucoma, a common eye disease, is listed as the leading cause of blindness and is seriously jeopardizing our eye health. Perhaps you don’t yet understand glaucoma; this article will help you unveil its mysteries!
First, we need to understand what glaucoma is.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease closely related to intraocular pressure, characterized by optic nerve atrophy and visual field loss, and is a major cause of blindness.
We can think of the eye as a water supply and drainage system. A structure called the ciliary body continuously supplies water to the eye, called aqueous humor. Another structure, called the iridocorneal angle, is responsible for drainage. If the aqueous humor is constantly supplied, but the iridocorneal angle becomes blocked and loses its drainage capacity, it leads to excess fluid buildup in the eye. This puts pressure on the eye, known as intraocular pressure. High intraocular pressure can damage the optic nerve, potentially causing glaucoma.
Types and symptoms of glaucoma
There are two types of glaucoma: acute angle-closure glaucoma and chronic open-angle glaucoma.
Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a sudden-onset type of glaucoma with obvious symptoms, including sudden eye pain, a rapid decrease in vision, and halos around lights. Because of its sudden onset, it is easily detected and diagnosed, facilitating timely treatment.
Chronic open-angle glaucoma, on the other hand, is a silent type of glaucoma. As intraocular pressure gradually increases, the visual field gradually diminishes without obvious symptoms or eye discomfort. Therefore, it is difficult to detect. By the time it is discovered, the optic nerve has already been damaged, silently harming our eyes. This type of glaucoma is therefore more dangerous and a silent killer of our vision. Therefore, we must pay more attention to the prevention of this type of glaucoma.
So how do we prevent glaucoma?
We’ve already learned that glaucoma is caused by elevated intraocular pressure. Therefore, controlling intraocular pressure is a great way to prevent glaucoma!
Controlling intraocular pressure requires regular measurement. You can have it professionally measured at a hospital, health checkup center, or other reputable medical facility, or you can use a small tonometer at home.
Why is glaucoma so prevalent? Reasons for its high incidence:
- The fast pace of modern life and improper eye use increase the incidence of glaucoma.
- A family history of glaucoma also increases the risk.
- As we age, the increased strain on our eyes also increases the risk of glaucoma.
- Complications from underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, are also a major cause of glaucoma.
If you are unfortunately diagnosed with glaucoma, don’t panic. Although it’s an irreversible eye disease, proper maintenance and treatment can protect your vision.
How to treat Glaucoma?
There are three treatment options, determined based on your specific condition.
The first is medication, using intraocular drops. This method is suitable for the early stages of glaucoma and requires lifelong treatment; medication should not be stopped without consulting a doctor.
The second option is laser treatment, which utilizes a laser to open and repair the anterior chamber angle, thereby restoring its drainage function.
The third option is surgery, which is performed when the first two methods are unsuitable. Surgery opens new drainage channels to restore the function of the anterior chamber angle.
Final Thought
This article has helped us understand that glaucoma is a progressive and irreversible eye disease. Once we have glaucoma, the optic nerve is permanently damaged. Therefore, we must pay attention to our eye health, have our intraocular pressure checked regularly, and take steps to protect our vision.
If you have glaucoma, don’t be afraid of it. Learn to live with it peacefully. With proper daily maintenance and regular treatment, you can mitigate its damage to your eyes.
We offer various types of tonometers to protect your vision. Contact us to learn more about eye care!
