Glaucoma is the second most common cause of vision loss in the United States, affecting approximately 3 million Americans. Not one disease, but actually a group of them, glaucoma results when abnormally high pressure inside the eyeball damages the optic nerve.
The optic nerve is like a big electric cable made up of thousands of individual wires carrying the images you see from the retina to your brain. When the optic nerve deteriorates, blind spots develop in your visual field, starting with your peripheral (side) vision. If left untreated, glaucoma may lead to blindness in both eyes.
Types of Glaucoma
Andrea Bocelli, the Italian opera singer, and Ray Charles, the R%26amp;B singer, both developed glaucoma as children, and both are blind from the disease. Childhood glaucoma (also known as congenital glaucoma) is usually diagnosed within the first year of life. It is a rare condition that may be inherited and is caused by incorrect or incomplete development of the eye's drainage canals during the prenatal period.
The most common form of glaucoma is primary glaucoma. Minnesota Twins Hall-of-Famer Kirby Puckett was forced to retire from baseball when he developed primary glaucoma, resulting in damage to the vision in his right eye.
Primary glaucoma may be divided into two types: open angle and closed angle. Open angle is the type seen most frequently in the United States. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF), it occurs when the eye's drainage canals become clogged over time. It is usually detected in its early stages during routine eye examinations.
Closed angle glaucoma, also called acute glaucoma, has a sudden onset in people with anatomically narrow angles. It is characterized by severe eye pain and blurred vision. According to the GRF, eye pressure increases very quickly because %26quot;the drainage canals get blocked or covered over%26quot; with closed angle glaucoma.
The Thief of Sight
Glaucoma is sometimes called %26quot;the silent thief,%26quot; slowly stealing your sight before you realize anything's wrong. Patients' vision fails so gradually, giving no warning signs, that they may not even be aware they have an eye problem until their vision is extensively damaged.
According to Prevent Blindness America, risk factors for developing glaucoma include:
- Age: People aged 40 and older are more likely to develop glaucoma.
- Family history: Those with parents or siblings who have glaucoma are more likely to develop the disease.
- Race: People of African or Afro-Caribbean heritage are four to five times more at risk for glaucoma than the rest of the population and are more likely to develop it at an early age.
- Diabetes: People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing glaucoma.
- Myopia: People who are very nearsighted are at greater risk.
- Eye injury or surgery: Those who have had eye surgery or eye injuries may develop secondary glaucoma.
- Steroid use: When used for extended periods of time, steroids may increase the risk of glaucoma.
Fortunately, only a small percentage of people with the disease lose their sight. While there is no cure for glaucoma, recent medical advances have made it easier to diagnose and treat.
Prevention and Treatment
Studies show regular aerobic exercise and a diet low in saturated fats may prevent the vascular constriction that leads to glaucoma. There have also been many studies supporting specific vitamin supplements that can help prevent the condition.
According to the Glaucoma Foundation, however, the most important thing you can do to protect your vision from glaucoma is to have regular eye exams. Anyone older than 35 should have tonometry, a method of measuring the pressure of the eye by measuring the tone or firmness of its surface, and eye examinations every two years. More frequent examination is recommended for people who have any of the risk factors mentioned above.
Results from the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study show that prescribing drugs that lower the pressure in moderate- to high-risk patients' eyes can actually prevent cases of ocular hypertension from developing into full-blown glaucoma. A surgery called laser iridotomy, as well as eyedrops and other medications, can help prevent acute attacks in high-risk patients.
Don't let the %26quot;thief of sight%26quot; rob you blind - prevention and early detection is the key!
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