Etiology and Symptoms/Signs

What is glaucoma？

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve is slowly destroyed and the visual field was damaged. In most people this damage is due to an increased pressure inside the eye - a result of blockage of the circulation of aqueous, mostly in its drainage. However, in some other patients the damage may be caused by poor blood supply to the vital optic nerve fibers, a weakness in the structure of the nerve, and/or  abnormalities in the health of the nerve fibers. Even though glaucoma cannot be cured in the present, it can be treated. If it is spotted in its early stages, before any sight is lost, blindness can almost always be prevented.

Symptoms and Signs of Glaucoma？

Chronic open-angle glaucoma is the commonest form of glaucoma. It has no symptoms until eye sight is lost at a later stage.  Damage progresses very slowly and destroys vision gradually, starting with the peripheral vision. Because one eye can cover for the other, the person remains unaware of any problem until a majority of nerve fibers have been destroyed and a large part of vision has been destroyed. Most damage in glaucoma is irreversible. It is progressive and usually relentless. Treatment cannot recover what has been lost, but it can arrest, or at least, slow down the damage process.

What cause glaucoma?

In a normal eye, aqueous humor is produced, circulates through the eye, and then drains out through the trabecular meshwork, which is the eye's filtration system. This is a series of tiny channels near the angle formed by the cornea, the iris, and the sclera.  If there is any sort of blockage in these channels, significant aqueous pressure builds up inside the eyeball. 

Who is at risk？

Anyone can get glaucoma. However, some people have a higher risk: those with 1. a family history of glaucoma; 2. diabetes mellitus; 3. migraine; 4. nearsightedness; 5. history of eye injuries; 6. higher blood pressure; 7. past or present use of corticosteroid drugs.  People with above conditions should have their first eye check no later than the age of 35. For most people, it is recommended to have an eye check for glaucoma by the age of 40. 

The most common type of glaucoma？

Open-angle glaucoma, which is also called chronic simple glaucoma, is the most common form of the condition. Open-angle glaucoma often runs in families, but does not always affect every member of the family. It can also skip one or more generations. When it does strike, it almost always affects both eyes.

Therapy

Glaucoma can be treated, and the sooner the better. The damage that has already occurred from glaucoma cannot be repaired-it will either stay the same or get worse. Catching glaucoma at its earliest stages and treating it promptly will increase the odds of keeping one's vision. All of the various glaucoma treatments and procedures are aimed at reducing eye pressure. Eye pressure doesn't necessarily cause glaucoma, but once it develops, eye pressure speeds up the destructive process. There are a number of different treatments for glaucoma: eye drops, oral medication, and surgery.