Glaucoma: The Silent Loss of Sight

Glaucoma Silently Steals Vision

Like your blood, your eye has pressure. This is known as intraocular pressure or IOP. The optic nerve at the back of the eye can be damaged when this pressure increases to dangerous levels. Decreased peripheral vision and eventually blindness can result from the high pressure.

In the world the second leading cause of blindness is glaucoma. Even if glaucoma doesn't result in blindness it can cause a person's vision to be severely impaired. Glaucoma has two major types: primary open-angle glaucoma or POAG which is chronic and closed-angle glaucoma which is acute. Congenital glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma and secondary glaucoma are other forms of glaucoma.

Chronic glaucoma has no warning signs which has earned it the term "silent thief of sight" and there is often no hint that anything is wrong. Permanent damage has already been done by the time people notice they have it. While millions may have glaucoma the National Institutes of Health estimates that only half know they have it.

Less than 10% of individuals will have close-angle glaucoma. This form of glaucoma does produce recognizable signs. Eye pain, headaches, haloes around lights, dilated pupils, vision loss, red eyes, nausea and vomiting are the symptoms of this form of glaucoma. This form of glaucoma is considered a medical emergency since permanent damage can occur within hours if the high pressure isn't reduced.

Those who have a high risk of glaucoma include African-Americans over forty years old, Hispanics, those with a family history of glaucoma, those over sixty years old, those with health conditions such as diabetes, those who have had a serious eye injury and those who are severely nearsighted. Detecting glaucoma early is the best defense. Glaucoma can be treated and vision loss minimized but only if it is noticed early. Therefore, those who are at risk should have regular eye exams done.

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Ophthalmology

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