1. A Vision Disease
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damages the optic nerve. Glaucoma causes vision loss and can lead to complete blindness. With early detection and quick treatment, however, your vision can be protected.
2. What Happens
The optic nerve is what connects your retina to your brain to transmit what you are seeing. The retina is the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. There is fluid in your eye that forms in the front of your eye and then drains out where the cornea meets the iris. The most common type of glaucoma is open angle glaucoma. This is when the fluid is not draining out of your eye fast enough (through the open angle that gives this condition its name). The backed up fluid puts pressure on the optic nerve, leading to a loss of vision.
3. Risk Factors
Anyone can develop glaucoma. If you have a family history of glaucoma, you are more at risk. Other people who are more susceptible to it include African Americans, Mexicans, and anyone over 60.
4. Symptoms
The pressure that builds up in your eye and causes glaucoma does not cause any pain. For this reason, glaucoma often goes undiagnosed until some form of vision loss occurs. The peripheral vision will be lost first. Over time, the central field of vision will also deteriorate. If the condition is not corrected, total blindness may result.
5. Vision Loss
Once vision is lost due to glaucoma it can be restored. Vision loss can be prevented, however, with early treatment. Eye drops and pills are the easiest way to treat glaucoma in its early stages. These medicines either cause the eye to create less fluid, or help the fluid drain away faster. In either case, the eye pressure is lowered, restoring the optic nerve.
6. Lower Pressure
Laser trabeculoplasty is another way to lower pressure in your eye. This laser surgery burns holes in the meshwork of your eye to help the fluid drain faster. This operation has a very high rate of success, but the holes can close over time. Your doctor may recommend that you take glaucoma medicine in conjunction with laser surgery in order to keep the problem under control.
7. Surgical Procedures
Trabeculectomy is a conventional form of surgery that makes a new opening for fluid to leave your eye. It is generally recommended only if medicine and laser surgery has failed to correct the problem. Conventional surgery generally only works if you have not had previous eye surgeries for any reason. If the new opening narrows, a second operation may be required to widen it back up.
8. Getting an Operation
If you have glaucoma in both eyes, only one at a time will be operated on. In the case of both laser surgery and conventional surgery, operations will be scheduled four to six weeks apart. You will be given eye drops to take home that will fight against infection. It is very important that you use these for the length of time that your doctor recommends.