Glaucoma is used to explain different types of damage to the optic nerve. You can find it in people of all ages. However, it occurs more frequently as people age. Vision loss may occur when this disease progresses, and there is currently no known cure. People with glaucoma tend to have increased pressure in their eyes compared to those without. This disease can be treated and managed, and often there are no symptoms until the effects upon vision become noticeable.
Glaucoma is an eye disease that results in damage to the optic nerve. It commonly occurs in older people, but it can occur in people of all ages when it progresses. People with this will develop blindness, and there isn’t a cure for this disease yet, but a specialist in glaucoma in San Antonio can recommend various treatments. In this article, we look at the different types of glaucoma. Read on to learn more.
Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma
Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common glaucoma, affecting about 2% of people. In primary open-angle glaucoma, the eye’s drainage canals fail to drain correctly, causing pressure build-up in the eye. Since this condition has no symptoms until vision loss occurs, doctors often discover this disease due to a routine eye examination.
It causes symptoms such as :
- Aching or burning eyes
- Blurred vision
- Seeing halos around lights
These symptoms will be experienced gradually and can eventually lead to blindness if not treated. It is common for people with this disease to develop a blind spot inside their field of vision. The only way to prevent this disease at the moment is to have routine check-ups. Only when the disease is caught in its later stages does it become treatable. This condition can cause blindness if not treated, but it’s possible to prevent this by getting regular eye checks.
Closed-Angle Glaucoma
This form of glaucoma is found in children and is rare. It’s known as acute closed-angle glaucoma because the flow of fluid inside the eye (aqueous humor) becomes blocked suddenly by an abnormal iris or lens blocking it. This painful condition results in extremely high intraocular pressure, pain, redness, halos around lights, and blurring of vision.
Affected children become increasingly irritable due to the pain they are experiencing. This irritability can indicate it’s time for medical treatment. The sooner closed-angle glaucoma is treated, the better chance your child has at preserving their vision.
The most common form of this disease is chronic, or long-standing, closed-angle glaucoma. This condition occurs when the iris of an adult’s eye blocks drainage canals in the eye, causing a build-up of pressure inside it. Symptoms of this disease include severe pain, halos around lights, and blurred vision.
Treatment for closed-angle glaucoma include eye drops that lower pressure in the eye, laser treatment, or advanced surgical techniques. The sooner this form of glaucoma is treated, the better chance your child has at preserving their vision.
In summary, glaucoma is a disease where you lose your eyesight because the optic nerve is damaged. Sometimes it affects children and sometimes not until adulthood, but there is no known cure for glaucoma if left untreated. The most common types of glaucoma are primary open-angle glaucoma and closed-angle glaucoma.
