GLAUCOMA awareness month

What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal sight without warning. Although the most common forms primarily affect the middle-aged and the elderly, glaucoma can affect people of all ages.

Vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. This nerve acts like an electric cable with over a million wires. It is responsible for carrying images from the eye to the brain.

There is no cure for glaucoma—yet. However, medication or surgery can slow or prevent further vision loss. The appropriate treatment depends upon the type of glaucoma among other factors. Early detection is vital to stopping the progress of the disease.

Types of Glaucoma
There are two main types of glaucoma: primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and angle-closure glaucoma. These are marked by an increase of intraocular pressure (IOP), or pressure inside the eye. When optic nerve damage has occurred despite a normal IOP, this is called normal tension glaucoma.

Secondary glaucoma refers to any case in which another disease causes or contributes to increased eye pressure, resulting in optic nerve damage and vision loss.

Regular Eye Exams are Important
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization. In the most common form, there are virtually no symptoms. Vision loss begins with peripheral or side vision, so if you have glaucoma, you may not notice anything until significant vision is lost.

The best way to protect your sight from glaucoma is to get a comprehensive eye examination. Then, if you have glaucoma, treatment can begin immediately.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among African-Americans. And among Hispanics in older age groups, the risk of glaucoma is nearly as high as that for African-Americans. Also, siblings of persons diagnosed with glaucoma have a significantly increased risk of having glaucoma.

How to test for glaucoma: The three tests

Glaucoma  is usually painless and does not cause symptoms until it is quite advanced. It is therefore important to have regular eye health checks which test for glaucoma at an early stage. There are three eye tests that are used to check for glaucoma.

These eye tests for glaucoma are quick and painless.

Looking at the appearance of the main nerve in the eye, called the optic nerve (ophthalmoscopy)
Measuring the pressure in the eye (tonometry)
Checking the field of vision (perimetry)
When you have an eye health check the optometrist must, by law, examine the back of your eye. This will include looking at your optic nerve. It is also recommended that everyone who is considered to be at risk of glaucoma (such as those people who are over the age of forty) have their eye pressure measured.

This is often done by a piece of equipment which gently blows a puff of air at your eye. If the results of either of these tests are inconclusive, your optometrist may also ask you to do a field of vision test to make sure everything is normal.