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Glaucoma - Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Definition

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the eye's optic nerve. Due to illness of glaucoma there are maximum chances of vision loss and blindness. Glaucoma occurs when the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises.
Glaucoma has been also called "the sneak thief of sight. Worldwide, it is the second leading cause of blindness. Glaucoma affects 1 in 200 people aged 50 and younger and 1 in 10 over the age of 80.

In the United States, approximately 2.2 million people age 40 and older have glaucoma, and of these, as many as 120,000 are blind due the disease. The number of Americans with glaucoma is estimated to increase to 3.3 million by the year 2020.

Causes

Glaucoma involves increased pressure within the eye. In the normal eye, a clear fluid called aqueous humor is produced in the rear chamber and flows through the pupil into the front chamber. Once in the front part of the eye, the fluid drains out of the eye through an area called the canals of Schlemm. This is a series of tiny channels near the angle formed by the cornea (the clear portion of the eye), the iris (the colored portion of the eye), and the sclera (the white of the eye). If there is any sort of blockage in these channels, pressure builds up inside the eyeball and cause glaucoma.

Most peoples IOPs fall between 8 and 21. However, some eyes can tolerate higher pressures than others. Thats why it may be normal for one person to have a higher pressure than another.

Symptoms

Most people who have glaucoma don't have any symptoms. You might not realize that you're losing vision until it's too late. Half of all people with loss of vision caused by glaucoma are not aware they have the disease. By the time they notice loss of vision, the eye damage is severe.

Detection and prevention are only possible with routine eye examinations. However, certain types, such as angle closure and congenital, do cause symptoms. Common symptoms are :-

Sudden decrease of vision
Extreme eye pain
Headache
Nausea and vomiting
Glare and light sensitivity
Tearing
Light sensitivity
Enlargement of the cornea

Treatment

Glaucoma can be treated, and the sooner the better. The damage that has already occurred from glaucoma cannot be repaired-it will either stay the same or get worse. Catching glaucoma at its earliest stages and treating it promptly will increase the odds of keeping one's vision.
The treatment of glaucoma is aimed at reducing intraocular pressure by improving aqueous outflow, reducing the production of aqueous, or both. Doctors accomplish these treatment goals with eyedrops, systemic medications, laser treatment, surgery, or a combination of treatments.
There are a number of different treatments for glaucoma like Eye drops, Oral medication, Surgery etc.
The type of treatment depends upon individual conditions.