Glaucoma: Symptoms, causes and treatment

Do you know there is a silent thief of sight? It’s called Glaucoma, which slowly damages your optic nerve, often without any early signs. If not detected early, it can cause permanent vision loss and blindness.

Anyone can develop glaucoma; however, people over age 40 (especially over 60), those with a family history of the disease are at higher risk.

That’s why, Wavikar Eye Institute urges you to know your risk factors and schedule an appointment with the Best Ophthalmologist near you. This will ensure early detection and treatment to safeguard your vision.

Glaucoma Definition

Glaucoma means a group of eye diseases that create pressure buildup (elevated intraocular pressure – IOP) inside your eyeball, damaging the optic nerve at the back of your eye.

This pressure results from poor drainage of aqueous humor fluid that over time compresses the optic nerve and leads to progressive vision loss.

Here is what actually happens:

Your eyes constantly produce aqueous humor (a clear liquid inside the front part of the eye to maintain pressure in your eyes). As new liquid flows into your eye, the same amount is drained out through an area called the drainage angle.

This process keeps pressure in the eye (known as intraocular pressure – IOP) stable. Due to an unknown cause, if the drainage angle is not working properly, fluid builds up. Pressure inside the eye increases, damaging the optic nerve and slowly causing irreversible loss of your vision.

Types of Glaucoma

• Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG): The most common type, where drainage canals clog over time resulting in slow buildup of fluid.
• Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma (Emergency): Also called Closed-Angle or Narrow-Angle Glaucoma. It is a medical emergency where the iris blocks the drainage angle.
• Normal-Tension Glaucoma: Also called Low-Tension Glaucoma. Here, the optic nerve is damaged though eye pressure is within its normal range.
• Secondary Glaucoma: Caused by other eye conditions, injury, disease, inflammation, some medications. Examples include Pigmentary Glaucoma, Exfoliation Glaucoma, Neovascular Glaucoma, Steroid induced Glaucoma.
• Congenital Glaucoma (Children): Rare form present during birth due to abnormal development of the eye’s drainage system.

Glaucoma Symptoms

In its early stages, glaucoma may not cause any symptoms until this condition causes irreversible damage; that’s why it’s known as the “silent thief.”

Some of the symptoms are:

• Eye pain or pressure
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Trouble adjusting to light changes
• Gradually developing low vision
• Gradually developing blind spots (scotomas)
• Visual field defects like tunnel vision, where central sight remains but edges darken.

Emergency glaucoma symptoms include:

• Sudden onset pain, redness, reduced vision of eye
• Nausea and vomiting accompanied by eye pain
• Rainbow-colored halos around lights
• Sudden appearance and increase in floaters (tiny specks, dots, threads or cobwebs that drift across the field of vision)
• Sudden vision loss of any kind

What are the Risk Factors?

The exact cause that damages the drainage system is obvious in certain glaucomas while not so clear in other types. Here are some of the risk factors that can lead to glaucoma.

• Adults over 60
• A family history of Glaucoma
• Chronic medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure
• Eye conditions such as eye injury, thin corneas, nearsightedness or farsightedness

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness for people over 60 years old. Thankfully, you can save your vision with early diagnosis and treatment. That’s why, prioritize your Eye Health by scheduling a timely visit to your Eye Doctor at the Best Eye Hospital.

Diagnosis of Glaucoma

Ophthalmologists at Wavikar Eye Institute perform the diagnosis through comprehensive tests, which may include the following:

• Visual acuity testing
• Visual field testing or Perimetry
• Tonometry – eye pressure test
• Pachymetry – measures of thickness of cornea
• Slit lamp exam
• Gonioscopy – Examination of the Eye’s Drainage Angle
• Depth perception testing
• OCT – Optical Coherence Tomography

Treatment options of Glaucoma at the Best Eye Hospital

Once the vision is lost, it cannot be restored. But, it can be prevented or its progression can be slowed with regular eye checkups and optimal treatment.

Treatment aims to lower intraocular pressure to prevent or slow down further optic nerve damage and maintain good vision.

Here are the treatment options:

Medications (Eye Drops)

The first line of treatment that decreases fluid production in the eye or Improves drainage of the eye fluid.

These include:

• Prostaglandin analogs
• Beta-blockers
• Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
• Alpha-agonists

Oral Medications

Doctors sometimes prescribe oral medicines if eye drops fail to lower pressure.

Laser Therapy

Is quick, painless and performed in the Eye Hospital.

• Laser Trabeculoplasty: Used for open-angle glaucoma. This improves drainage.
• Laser Iridotomy: Used for angle-closure glaucoma. This creates a small hole in the iris to improve fluid flow.
• Laser Cyclophotocoagulation: Used to reduce fluid production in severe cases.

Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)

MIGS uses microscopic devices to enhance drainage with less tissue damage but faster recovery.

Conventional Surgery

• Trabeculectomy: Creates a new drainage pathway in the white of the eye.
• Drainage Implants (Tube Shunts): Involves insertion of a tiny tube into the eye to drain surplus fluid.

To Summarize

There is no cure for Glaucoma; however, early detection can prevent it from becoming severe.

All you need is to schedule an appointment with an Ophthalmologist at the Best Eye Hospital in Thane, Mumbai like Wavikar Eye Institute, go through a comprehensive eye checkup and follow your doctor’s advice.

Our Locations:

Majiwada:
Amber Arcade, 4th & 5th Floor,
Near Lodha Paradise, Bhiwandi Bypass Road, Majiwada,
Thane (West) – 400 601

Mulund
Shop No. 1-3, Ground Floor,
Shanti Villa CHS, Ganesh Gawde Road,
Mulund (West), Mumbai – 400 080

Naupada
1st Floor, Rameshwar, Ram Maruti Road,
Above Jain Traders, Naupada,
Thane (West) – 400 602

Book an initial consultation today to get expert advice.
Call: +91 93555 29217
WhatsApp: +91 77100 55123
Email: contact@wavikareye.com