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About Glaucoma Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in North America and Europe, and the second leading cause worldwide. It is estimated that half of those with glaucoma do not realize they have the disease. What is Glaucoma? The eye's aqueous fluid is constantly produced and drained at a balanced rate to ensure the health of the lens and cornea. When this drainage becomes blocked, or there is an increase in aqueous fluid production, intraocular pressure increases and glaucoma occurs. Over time, this pressure can cause damage to some of the sensitive structures that receive and transmit images in the eye, ultimately resulting in irreversible loss of vision. Although risk factors for glaucoma include heredity, diet, smoking and age, the actual cause is often unclear. Glaucoma develops gradually over many years and is unfortunately a non-symptomatic disease. Your vision may seem fine until the day you are diagnosed with glaucoma, or you notice that your peripheral vision is not a good as it once was. If glaucoma is not detected and treated early, it can lead to blindness. Types of Glaucoma Glaucoma is the name given to a number of conditions in which the optic nerve is damaged at its point of exit from the eyeball. Glaucoma is most often associated with an increase of pressure inside the eye, which, over time, can cause damage to some of the sensitive structures that receive and transmit images in the eye. Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), the most common form of glaucoma, affects more than 50 million people worldwide. With open angle glaucoma, the eye's drainage system - called the trabecular meshwork - becomes blocked, creating a slow rise in intraocular pressure that puts pressure on optic nerve fibers, and eventually cuts off the blood supply. A combination of laser therapy, drug therapy and surgery may be used to deter the progression of this disease.
Variants of open angle glaucoma include 'normal tension' glaucoma, which exists in eyes that do not tolerate seemingly normal pressure, and ocular hypertension, a condition in which the intraocular pressure is high without loss of visual field. Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), most common in Asiatic and American Eskimo populations, occurs when the outer part of the iris bulges forward and touches the back of the cornea, inhibiting the drainage of fluid from the eye. With angle closure glaucoma, immediate treatment is required to save the optic nerve. Treatment consists of creating a hole in the periphery of the iris to allow the outflow of fluid through the eye's drainage system.
Secondary Glaucoma Secondary glaucoma may result from some type of trauma to the eye, an inflammatory eye disease, a tumor or diabetes. This type of glaucoma can also be a result of certain medications, particularly those containing steroids. Treatment is dependent upon the angle of eye. Normal Tension Glaucoma Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) results in damage to the optic nerve without an increase in pressure of the eye. Early detection and diagnosis is the best course of action to reduce the harmfulness of this disease, and a combination of laser therapy, drug therapy and surgery may be used to deter its progression. Pigmentary Glaucoma Similar to secondary glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma is caused when some of the pigmentary granules in the back of the iris separate from the iris and move into the eye's drainage system. These tiny granules clog the drainage system, leading to an increase in intraocular pressure. Treatment may include laser therapy, drug therapy or surgery.
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