Glaucoma
High eye pressure is known to be associated with compromise to the optic nerve function which translates to Glaucomatous damage. Its always good to have your eye pressure assessed regularly to detect early onset of Glaucoma.
Myopic eyes tend to have a longer axial length, leading to a thinner sclera, poorer vasculature and weaker lamina cribrosa (the area where the optic nerve exits the eye). This makes the optic nerve more susceptible to compromised blood flow and damage from high eye pressure.
Hypertension can increase eye pressure and damage optic nerve blood flow, contributing to glaucoma. Diabetes exacerbates this by causing microvascular damage in the eye. Both conditions impair optic nerve health, raising the risk of glaucomatous neuropathy.
Those with thin corneas are at risk of Glaucoma because the intraocular pressure measurement in a thin cornea tends to be an underestimation of the actual eye pressure. As such, many Glaucoma cases go undetected in those with thin corneas. Patients who had LASIK done would have thinner corneas than those without LASIK. That is why patients who had prior LASIK should continue close monitoring to detect any onset of Glaucoma.
People with snoring or obstructive sleep apnea have 10 times increase risk of Glaucoma. This could be related to decreased oxygen perfusion to the optic nerve during obstructed sleep when the muscles relax and airways collapse. For that same reason, people with obstructive sleep apnea have higher risk of hypertension, heart disease and stroke. It is advisable to get screened for Glaucoma if you know you or your loved ones have snoring or sleep problems.
