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Glaucoma
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Glaucoma is a stealthy illness; most people have no early symptoms and do not notice as their peripheral vision diminishes or blind spots occur. As a result, about half of the three million Americans with the disease are unaware of their condition. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and through the EyeSmart(TM) Campaign, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, want to remind people that knowing your risk for the disease can save your sight. If untreated, glaucoma ultimately results in blindness.
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Glaucoma is a common and important health problem. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in Western Society (Hoskins & Kass, 1989). It is responsible for ten percent of all blindness in the United States and continues to be the second or third most common cause of blindness in the world (Bunce, Fraser, & Wormald, 1999). It is estimated that two million people in the United States have been diagnosed as having glaucoma. Glaucoma is known to affect about two percent of Caucasians beginning at the age of 40 with an increasing risk for those over the age of 60. This risk is especially high if a member of the family has glaucoma or diabetes.
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Glaucoma means that part of the optic nerve is damaged, usually caused by increased eye pressure. But, about 1 in 5 people with glaucoma have eye pressures in the normal range. This is called 'normal pressure glaucoma'. In this condition the optic nerve is damaged by relatively low eye pressures. Other factors such as a poor blood supply may make the optic nerve sensitive even to modest pressure. In contrast, some people have an increased eye pressure with no ill effect to the optic nerve.
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Glaucoma usually affects side (peripheral) vision first. If left untreated, vision loss will continue, eventually resulting in total blindness. If glaucoma is identified early and treated appropriately, good eyesight can usually be maintained. Glaucoma is often asymptomatic for an extended period of time, making routine eye exams extremely important. Learn more about glaucoma progression.
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Glaucoma drugs may be taken several times a day. Most people have no problems. However, some medicines can cause headaches or have side effects which affect other parts of the body. Drops may cause stinging, burning, and redness in the eye. Ask your eye care professional to show you how to put the drops into your eye. In addition, tell your eye care professional about other medications you may be taking before you begin glaucoma treatment.
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Glaucoma is diagnosed through a minimum of three tests, optic nerve damage, visual field tests, and lastly IOP. The tests that were mentioned in the previous paragraph showed that even after 10 years with the disease Mary’s optic nerve was in excellent condition except for a small birth defect on the right eye. Schisis caused the visual field test to show loss of sight in that area. All previous perimeter tests ... showed eye sight loss limited to that area except the first one that she took under stressful conditions.
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