July 10, 2017 - Glaucoma
Glaucoma affects more than 2.7 million americans, but only 50% of those with glaucoma are aware they have the condition. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to loss of vision. For this reason, it is important to check for glaucoma regularly, particularly if you are at an increased risk or are experiencing symptoms of glaucoma.
Open-angle glaucoma accounts for 90% of all glaucoma cases. Open-angle glaucoma is when the trabecular meshwork, which is a filter for the fluid in the eye, gets clogged. When the mesh is clogged the fluid is not able to move efficiently which leads to high pressure in the eye. There are two types of open-angle glaucoma.
- Exfoliative glaucoma is a form of open-angle glaucoma and develops in some patients who have exfoliation syndrome. It develops when cell tissues and proteins build up and clogging the trabecular meshwork raising eye pressure.
- Traumatic glaucoma is a form of open-angle glaucoma that can appear after an eye injury or later, as debris from the trauma disrupts the drainage process.
- Low-tension glaucoma, which is more common in men than women, accounts for 15-25% of glaucoma cases in the United States. It is similar to open-angle glaucoma, but differs in the pressure levels for the eye. Low-Tension Glaucoma results from damage to the optic nerve caused by poor oxygen intake or low circulation.
- Acute angle-closure glaucoma, which affects 50% more women than men, is considered an emergency if you have it. However, this form of glaucoma is quite rare. This form of glaucoma occurs when drainage canals in the eye are blocked, which causes the pupil to expand too much or too quickly.
- Secondary glaucoma is any form of glaucoma where the cause is unknown and there is an increase in eye pressure where the the optic nerve is damaged or there is vision loss. This can happen from an eye injury, cataracts, diabetes or taking certain drugs like steroids.
- Neovascular Glaucoma is most common in diabetes patients, and usually occurs in tandem with other conditions. This form of glaucoma occurs when new blood vessels form at the front of the eye and block fluid drainage through the trabecular meshwork, causing pressure build-up.
- Pigmentary glaucoma occurs when the particles of pigment from the iris detach and float into the vitreous fluid inside the eye, clogging the trabecular meshwork. This form of glaucoma is quite rare.
- Uveitic glaucoma is when the uvea, which is the middle layer of the eye that provides most of the blood to the retina, becomes inflamed.
- Ghost cell glaucoma occurs when damaged red blood cells called Ghost Cells enter the front chamber of the eye and can block the trabecular meshwork.
- Congenital glaucoma affects about 1 in every 10,000 babies and appears within the first few months after birth. It is a result of incorrect development to the eye’s drainage system before birth, which increases the eye pressure and damages the optic nerve.
Glaucoma is a sneaky eye disease with symptoms that can be hard to recognize because an increase in pressure does not always mean pain. As you may know, prevention is the best medicine. Therefore, it is best exercise daily and have a healthy diet full of leafy greens and essential fatty acids.