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Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of diseases of the optic nerve involving loss of retinal ganglion cells in a characteristic pattern of optic neuropathy .The most common form of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, develops gradually, giving no warning signs. Imagine that the inside of your eye is like a sink, with the faucet always running and the drain always open.Normal IOP is measured in millimeters of mercury and can range from 10-21 mm Hg. Elevated IOP is sometimes called ocular hypertension. Glaucoma is similar to ocular hypertension but with accompanying optic nerve damage and vision loss. It's like an electric cable made up of thousands of individual wires carrying the images from the inside back wall of your eyeball (retina) to your brain.The name refers to a narrowed angle between the iris and part of the back of the eye. The reduced angle increases pressure in the eye, causing it to quickly become sore and red. Childhood glaucoma is rare and starts in infancy, childhood, or adolescence. It is similar to open-angle glaucoma, and few, if any, symptoms are present in the early stage. Blindness can result if it is left untreated. Like most types of glaucoma, this childhood form is thought to be inherited. Elsewhere in the world, glaucoma treatment is less available, and glaucoma ranks as a leading cause of blindness just about everywhere. Over time, it causes damage to the optic nerve.Through early detection, diagnosis and treatment, you and your doctor can help to preserve your vision.In people with glaucoma, the drain in the eye is blocked and the fluid can't run out of the eyeball. Instead, the fluid builds up and causes increased pressure in the eye.

Glaucoma is caused by a number of different eye diseases which in most cases produce increased pressure within the eye. The common feature of these diseases is damage to the optic nerve, usually accompanied by an abnormally high pressure inside your eyeball Imagine that the inside of your eye is like a sink, with the faucet always running and the drain always open.Although raised intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma, there is no set threshold for intraocular pressure that causes glaucoma. Blind spots develop in your visual field when the optic nerve deteriorates, usually starting with your peripheral (side) vision. Like water in the sink, the fluid in your eye moves in and out. Occasionally, glaucoma can develop from other eye conditions that cause an increase of pressure in the eye. This is called secondary glaucoma.Fortunately, medical advances have made it easier to diagnose and treat glaucoma. There are two major types of glaucoma: chronic or primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and acute closed-angle glaucoma. Other variations include congenital glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma and secondary glaucoma.

Causes of Glaucoma

The common Causes of Glaucoma :

• Elevated IOP is still considered a major risk factor for glaucoma, though, because studies have shown that the higher the IOP is, the more likely the optic nerve will be damaged.
• Increased IOP results from either increased production or decreased drainage of aqueous humor.
• Open angle (chronic) glaucoma
• Angle closure (acute) glaucoma
• Congenital glaucoma
• Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause blindness by damaging the nerve cells located in the back of the eye (the optic nerve ).
• No one knows why certain ethnic groups, such as African Americans, have higher rates of glaucoma that lead to blindness
• In many cases this damage to the optic nerve is thought to be caused in part by increased pressure in the eye ( intraocular pressure , or IOP) that results from the buildup of fluid inside the eye.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

Some common Symptoms of Glaucoma :

• Halos around lights
• Reddening of the eye
• Severe eye pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• painful, red eye ;
• eyeball that is hard and sore to the touch;
• enlarged pupil that is oval in shape;
• vision is misty, and you may see halos around sources of light.
• Decreased or cloudy vision
• Swelling of the eye
• Pupil does not react to light
• Nausea and vomiting (may be the major symptom in the elderly)

Treatment of Glaucoma

• Your doctor may prescribe medication to lower your IOP.
• The only way to make sure that these medications work is to take them as prescribed.
• These drops reduce the production of fluid in the eye and may improve the flow of fluid out of the eye.
• These drops reduce the fluid production in the eye.
• Glaucoma treatment (for any form) entails decreasing aqueous humor production, increasing fluid drainage or a combination of the two
• In the past, eye drops for glaucoma caused blurring of vision, but most eye drops used today have few side effects.
• Laser surgery for glaucoma slightly increases the outflow of the fluid from the eye in open-angle glaucoma or eliminates fluid blockage in angle-closure glaucoma.
• The patient may also need an emergency operation, called an iridotomy.
• Blindness will occur in a few days if it is not treated.

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