Glaucoma Diagnosis

Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, which carries information from the eye to the brain. When the nerve is damaged, you can lose your vision. When people first get glaucoma, they lose their peripheral (side) vision. If the disease is not treated, vision loss may get worse, which can, over time, lead to complete blindness.

Damage to the optic nerve is often caused by intraocular pressure, which is increased pressure in the eye. This can happen when extra fluid builds up in the eye, such as when the eye makes too much fluid or does not drain well. However, not all cases of glaucoma are caused by increased pressure; sometimes the cause of glaucoma is not found. Sometimes, you can get glaucoma after an eye injury, after eye surgery or because of an eye tumor. Medicines such as corticosteroids that are used to treat other diseases may also sometimes cause glaucoma.

Type of Glaucoma

There are three types of glaucoma:

• Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form in the U.S. In this type of glaucoma, the optic nerve is gradually damaged, and slowly leads to loss of eyesight. One eye may be affected more than the other. Since the deterioration of eyesight is so gradual, you may lose much of your eyesight before you even realize it.
• Closed-angle glaucoma is a less common form of glaucoma. Only about 10% of all glaucoma cases in the country are closed-angle. In this form of glaucoma, the iris (the colored part of the eye) and the lens block movement of fluid between the chambers of your eye. This causes pressure to build up and the iris to press on the drainage system of the eye. A related type of the disease is sudden closed-angle glaucoma. If you get this acute form of glaucoma, you will need immediate medical care to prevent permanent damage to your eye.
• Congenital glaucoma is a rare form of glaucoma that affects some newborns. Occasionally, children and young adults are also diagnosed with a form of this disease.

Glaucoma Risk

It is of the utmost importance to diagnose and treat glaucoma as early as possible to prevent total and permanent blindness. If you are over the age of 40, and especially over the age of 70, your risk for contracting glaucoma rises substantially. African-Americans have a higher than average risk for glaucoma as do diabetics or those who with a family history of glaucoma. So, if you have an increased risk for the disease, you should get annual glaucoma tests by your ete-care professional, even if you are symptom free.

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