Glaucoma is considered one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide and has exhibited a worrying surge in the last few years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to three million Americans are currently diagnosed with this. Unfortunately, this number is expected to rise to over six million by 2050.
Presently, glaucoma is responsible for between 9% and 12% of all instances of blindness in the US. Glaucoma rates are rising primarily due to an aging population and late diagnoses, both of which are telling factors in the progression of the disease. The fact that there is also a shortage of ophthalmologists means that essential eye care is also less accessible to the public. With this in mind, it’s important to understand glaucoma, its risk better, what it does, and most critically, how it can be treated.
What is glaucoma?
Contrary to popular belief, glaucoma is actually a group of eye diseases that affect the optic nerve. It typically occurs when the eye is unable to properly drain fluid at the front of the organ. As a result, pressure builds up that impacts the optic nerve, which is responsible for effectively transmitting visual information. Over time, this can cause the optic fibers to die. Once this happens, these fibers cannot regenerate, meaning that this area of the eye effectively experiences vision loss. Unfortunately, this vision loss is irreversible.
Glaucoma also has two different types. The first is called open-angle glaucoma, which is the most common form of this condition. In this type, the eyes suffer from a clogged drainage angle. The second type of glaucoma is called angle-closure. Sometimes, this is also referred to as closed-angle or narrow-angle glaucoma. Compared to an open angle, this occurs much faster because a person’s iris is very close to the drainage angle. Consequently, vision loss is much more rapid and is considered a true eye emergency.
What are the symptoms of glaucoma?
Usually, glaucoma has no symptoms in its early stages, which is why it’s hard to detect. At most, some patients will notice blind spots as their optic fibers start to die out, although this is typically easy to miss. Open-angle glaucoma is also normally rather painless, so patients don’t get any warning signs until irreversible vision loss has already occurred.
That said, angle-closure glaucoma does usually manifest with physical symptoms. These include sudden blurring of vision, severe eye pain, headaches, nausea, redness of the eyes, vomiting, and seeing multi-colored rings or halos in your line of sight. When these happen, it’s called an acute attack, and it requires immediate medical attention.
Who is at risk of glaucoma?
Although glaucoma is more commonly associated with the elderly, by virtue of their more sensitive health, it can happen to anyone. As a matter of fact, one out of every 10,000 babies in the US is born with glaucoma. Having said this, there are certain aspects that make a person more susceptible to this condition. As mentioned above, older adults over 60 are more at risk due to their ocular functions being slower. This includes the natural drainage process detailed earlier. Aside from this, those who have a family history of glaucoma have a higher chance of being diagnosed with it themselves.
African Americans, Asians, and Hispanic individuals are also more at risk. As per the Glaucoma Research Foundation, a significant percentage of blindness among people with this heritage is due to this condition. For instance, open-angle glaucoma accounts for up to 19% of all blindness among African Americans. Lastly, those with unhealthy lifestyle habits that can hurt the eyes also have a higher risk for this condition. For example, bad habits that can affect eye health, such as smoking cigarettes and consistently not staying hydrated, can affect how well the eyes recover and heal. This can then hurt how well the aqueous humor flows and drains.
What are the treatment and management methods?
Sadly, there is no cure for glaucoma. As a result, the only real way to address it is via prevention and management. For starters, it helps if patients reduce their risk for glaucoma by avoiding possible stressors. This includes avoiding the aforementioned unhealthy lifestyle habits so that the eyes can work and drain properly. At the same time, it also helps to make use of protective aids that can prevent trauma that can impair eye function. Secondary glaucoma can occur when blunt force trauma causes bleeding or debris to get in the way of the eye’s drain.
To prevent this, using safety goggles or prescription safety glasses is crucial for those with refractive errors. As seen in the selection from Wiley, these specs offer superior ocular protection from a variety of risks, including high-impact projectiles, non-ionizing radiation, and liquid splash exposure. With these specialized eyewear, the eyes are less vulnerable to external trauma that may otherwise hasten or trigger glaucoma development.
Treatment
If a person already has glaucoma, it’s usually treated using various approaches that can stall progression. The most common means of managing this condition is using medicated eye drops. Available from brands like Cosopt, these drops work by regulating the amount of fluid in the eyes. This helps reduce overall interocular eye pressure, which can assist in preventing further damage to the optic nerves. Strictly available through a doctor’s prescription, these eye drops must be used in line with a carefully detailed treatment plan. This way, it can reduce the chances of experiencing complications or side effects.
How is the glaucoma healthcare landscape today?
Because of its severity and prevalence, glaucoma care is one of the most active fields in ocular wellness. Most of the emphasis is placed on getting a proper diagnosis, as this can drastically affect how much sight is saved or lost. This is why all healthcare professionals heavily recommend regular eye exams and more specific tests, like dilation ones.
Looking to the future, specialists are dedicating more research efforts towards finding more ways to lower eye pressure and further understanding the role that genetics plays. In the long run, these can help improve glaucoma awareness while also shrinking the instances of severe vision loss.
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