Glaucoma
Gitanjali Hospital – ENT | ENT | EYE | DERMATOLOGY Hospital in Trivandrum
Gitanjali Hospital – ENT | ENT | EYE | DERMATOLOGY Hospital in Trivandrum
Glaucoma
Understanding Glaucoma – ‘The silent Thief of Sight’
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, yet many are unaware they have it until vision has already been lost. Here is what you need to know about Glaucoma how it affects vision, who is at risk and how is prevent vision loss from glaucoma.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye condition where there is damage to the optic nerve, which is essential for good vision. This damage is caused by many factors of which the most important one is raised pressure in the eye. However, Glaucoma can occur even when eye pressures are normal.
Glaucoma is slowly progressing disease where initially there might not be any symptoms at all. It starts affecting the peripheral or side vision first, which often goes unnoticed as the brain tries to compensate for the missing spots. If untreated, this vision loss will progress to cause ‘tunnel vision’, where only a small initial field of vision remains and eventually leads to complete blindness
The ‘silent’ nature of the disease means that most people experience no symptoms until very late. As the disease progresses people may start to notice the following,
Several factors increase the risk of developing glaucoma.
A regular comprehensive eye exam is the only way to detect Glaucoma early. Key lists include Tonometry to measure the Intra Ocular Pressure, Fundoscopy and OCT for Optic nerve evaluation, Perimetry for peripheral visual mapping and Gonioscopy.
Managing Glaucoma
While there is currently no cure for Glaucoma blindness, we can prevent vision loss from glaucoma by diagnosing and treating early. Treatment options include eye drops to reduce eye pressure, laser therapy and surgery. The choice of treatment will depend on many factors such as type of glaucoma, nature of progression, responds to a particular treatment modality, etc.
Preventing Glaucoma
The best way to prevent vision loss from Glaucoma is early detection.
There is how you can protect your eyes.
Living with Glaucoma
For those diagnosed with glaucoma, managing the condition means committing to regular eye checkups and following prescribed treatment.
Adjusting to vision changes can be challenging, but support groups, low vision aids and occupational therapy can help improve quality of life.