Why is glaucoma a problem

If a blocked or slow channel is causing increased IOP, your doctor may suggest surgery to make a drainage path for fluid or destroy tissues that are responsible for the increased fluid. Treatment for angle-closure glaucoma is different. This type of glaucoma is a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment to reduce eye pressure as quickly as possible. Medicines are usually attempted first, to reverse the angle closure, but this may be unsuccessful.

A laser procedure called laser peripheral iridotomy may also be performed. This procedure creates small holes in your iris to allow for increased fluid movement. If your increased IOP can be stopped and the pressure returned to normal, vision loss can be slowed or even stopped.

Unfortunately, vision lost as a result of glaucoma cannot be restored. The best way to catch any type of glaucoma early is to have an annual preventive eye care appointment. Make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. Simple tests performed during these routine eye checks may be able to detect damage from glaucoma before it advances and begins causing vision loss.

Diabetes can increase your risk of several eye diseases, including glaucoma. Learn how diabetes can increase this risk and the steps you can take to…. Researchers say an autoimmune response may be behind the eye pressure and vision loss that sometimes precedes a glaucoma diagnosis.

Primary open-angle glaucoma is a progressive condition that can cause permanent vision loss if left untreated. Learn what you can do to prevent vision…. Tonometry is an eye test that can detect changes in eye pressure. Closed-angle glaucoma is an eye condition caused by too much pressure inside your eye. Learn about the types and symptoms of closed-angle glaucoma. Both conditions can cause blurry vision as well as…. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma. While it can't be cured, early detection and treatment greatly improve the outlook.

Research shows that marijuana can effectively lower pressure in the eye caused by glaucoma, but it still may not be the best treatment for this…. It can occur suddenly acute angle-closure glaucoma , and symptoms can include severe pain, red eye and nausea. Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency and requires treatment as quickly as possible to prevent permanent vision loss.

Having narrow drainage angles in the eye increases the risk of angle-closure glaucoma. For this reason, angle-closure glaucoma sometimes is called if it occurs gradually chronic angle-closure glaucoma. Read more: narrow-angle glaucoma. Secondary glaucoma. This is a type of glaucoma caused by another eye condition, illness or injury. Secondary glaucoma can occur in either open-angle or narrow-angle form.

Read more: secondary glaucoma. Developmental glaucoma. Also called congenital glaucoma , childhood glaucoma, or pediatric glaucoma , developmental glaucoma may be present from birth or caused by an injury or underlying condition that occurs and is detected early in life.

Read more: developmental or congenital glaucoma. Normal-tension glaucoma. In some cases, glaucoma damage occurs to the optic nerve and vision loss can occur even if your intraocular pressure is in the normal range. This less common form of the disease is called normal-tension glaucoma. The cause of normal-tension glaucoma is not fully known, but it may be related to reduced blood flow to the optic nerve due to conditions that may impair circulation. During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will perform a number of tests to determine if you have glaucoma or are at risk for the disease.

One of these tests checks the pressure inside your eyes, or IOP. It can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. Many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs. The effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is at an advanced stage.

Because vision loss due to glaucoma can't be recovered, it's important to have regular eye exams that include measurements of your eye pressure so a diagnosis can be made in its early stages and treated appropriately. If glaucoma is recognized early, vision loss can be slowed or prevented. If you have the condition, you'll generally need treatment for the rest of your life.

The signs and symptoms of glaucoma vary depending on the type and stage of your condition. For example:.

If left untreated, glaucoma will eventually cause blindness. Even with treatment, about 15 percent of people with glaucoma become blind in at least one eye within 20 years. Promptly go to an emergency room or an eye doctor's ophthalmologist's office if you experience some of the symptoms of acute angle-closure glaucoma, such as severe headache, eye pain and blurred vision.

Glaucoma is the result of damage to the optic nerve. As this nerve gradually deteriorates, blind spots develop in your visual field.

For reasons that doctors don't fully understand, this nerve damage is usually related to increased pressure in the eye. Elevated eye pressure is due to a buildup of a fluid aqueous humor that flows throughout the inside of your eye. This internal fluid normally drains out through a tissue called the trabecular meshwork at the angle where the iris and cornea meet. When fluid is overproduced or the drainage system doesn't work properly, the fluid can't flow out at its normal rate and eye pressure increases.

Glaucoma tends to run in families. In some people, scientists have identified genes related to high eye pressure and optic nerve damage. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with glaucoma you might be feeling overwhelmed. We're here to help. While anyone may develop glaucoma, some people are at a higher risk including those with a family history of the disease and anyone over the age of Take our quiz to find out if you are at higher risk of developing glaucoma.

Damage progresses slowly and destroys vision gradually, starting with peripheral vision. This early vision loss often goes unnoticed until a significant amount of damage to the optic nerve has already occurred.

On the other hand Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma can cause severe eye pain associated with nausea and vomiting, headache, watery eyes, sudden onset of blurred vision or seeing halos around light.

This is a medical emergency and immediate treatment is required. Although anyone may develop glaucoma, some people are at a higher risk, especially those with a family history of the disease. There are many types of glaucoma which can be divided into two categories: open-angle glaucoma and closed-angle glaucoma. Glaucoma cannot be self-detected.

Only an optometrist or an ophthalmologist can determine whether you have glaucoma or not.