Health Blurbs

Glaucoma is an eye disease marked by abnormally high pressure in your eye. This pressure is commonly caused by a build up of aqueous fluid because of an obstruction to your eyeballs drainage.

Sustained or sudden pressure within your eyeball causes optic nerve damage. Any disturbance of your optic nerve leads to diminished sight and blindness.

Glaucoma eye disease is broken into various types with varying symptoms. The most common being primary open-angle glaucoma, followed by acute angle-closure glaucoma.

Primary open-angle glaucoma slowly progresses with very little noticeable symptoms. As this form of glaucoma begins to cause optic nerve damage you’ll likely experience:

• slow vision loss
• gradual peripheral vision loss
• tunnel vision in advanced stage

Acute angle-closure glaucoma happens very quickly, with a sudden onset of symptoms, such as:

• cloudy vision
• blurred vision
• eye reddening
• severe eye pain
• decreased vision
• eye feels swollen
• nausea & vomiting
• halos around lights

Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency. And if any form of glaucoma is left untreated, this eye disease will progress into blindness.

Glaucoma isn’t curable. And the damage that’s already been done can’t be reversed. However, any future peripheral, tunnel or total vision loss can be allayed with treatment.

Glaucoma treatment is targeted at reducing intraocular pressure by improving outflow and reducing aqueous production. Initial treatment starts with one or more of these medicated eye drops, listed with their possible side effects:

• carbonic anhydrase inhibitors ~ frequent urination, tingling sensation
• alpha-agonists ~ fatigue, dizziness, red, itchy, swollen eyes, dry mouth, allergic reactions
• epinephrine compounds ~ red eyes, allergic reactions, palpitations, increased blood pressure, headache, anxiety
• prostaglandin like compounds ~ mild eye reddening, stinging, iris darkening, eyelid skin pigment changes, blurred vision
• beta blockers ~ difficulty breathing, slowed pulse, hair loss, low blood pressure, impotency, fatigue, weakness, depression, memory loss
• miotic, cholinergic agents ~ pain around eyes, brow ache, blurred, dim vision, nearsightedness, allergic reactions, sweating, increased salivation, digestive problems

If these eye drops don’t bring eye disease pressure down enough, then oral medication may be necessary. And finally, there are various types of eye pressure relieving surgeries available.

Risk factors for glaucoma include:

• over age 60
• nearsightedness
• glaucoma family history
• long term corticosteroid use
• African-American at highest risk
• other eye diseases ~ retinal detachment, eye tumors, eye inflammation
• health conditions ~ diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, hypothyroidism

Stress can trigger acute angle-closure glaucoma, so get this health situation managed.

Regular eye examines that measure your eyeball pressure is key to early diagnosis and treatment in order to minimize glaucoma’s vision loss. And don’t put off having an exam until you lose your peripheral to this tunnel vision causing eye pressure disease.

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