Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness in the United States. You may have glaucoma and not even know it.

Read these glaucoma articles at AllAboutVision.com:

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Glaucoma affects an estimated 3 million Americans, with 120,000 blind due to the condition. Elsewhere in the world, glaucoma treatment is less available, and glaucoma ranks as a leading cause of blindness just about everywhere. Even if people with glaucoma do not become blind, vision can be severely impaired.

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.

Chronic glaucoma (primary open angle glaucoma or POAG) is often called "the silent thief of sight" because there are no warning signs, no hint that anything is wrong. About half of Americans with chronic glaucoma don't know they have it. Glaucoma gradually reduces your peripheral vision, but by the time you notice it, permanent damage has already occurred. If your IOP remains high, the destruction can progress until tunnel vision develops, and you will only be able to see objects that are straight ahead.

Glaucoma symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, difficulty adapting to darkness, or haloes around lights. Chronic glaucoma normally develops after age 35.

Like POAG, normal-tension glaucoma (also termed normal-pressure glaucoma, low-tension glaucoma or low-pressure glaucoma) is an open-angle type of glaucoma that can cause visual field loss due to optic nerve damage, but in normal-tension glaucoma, the eye's IOP remains in the normal range.

Chronic narrow angle glaucoma, like open-angle glaucoma, can be symptomless until vision loss occurs.

Various types of treatments exist to help prevent the progress of this disease. Glaucoma surgery can decrease the production of intraocular fluid or increase the outflow of the fluid. Sometimes, the surgery will accomplish both. However, glaucoma eye drops are preferred over surgery to control IOP. This is the first line of defense against the disease. Other glaucoma medications are under investigation which would protect the optic nerve to prevent eye damage, potential vision loss, or even blindness.

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