Glaucoma

A common misconception about Glaucoma – which is a form of eye disease leading to optic nerve damage and therefore loss of vision – is that it only affects the elderly. Depending on the specific type of Glaucoma, the disease can develop at any age – even babies can suffer from congenital Glaucoma.

Types of Glaucoma

Glaucoma can be categorized in many ways: Open Angle versus Angle Closure Glaucoma and Hypertensive versus Normotensive Glaucoma. In general, if there is a problem with the drainage canal of the eye at the angles (be it due to an open angle that becomes obstructed or narrow angles which impede outflow of fluid), too much fluid stays in the eye and causes a rise in the eye pressure. 

Open Angle Glaucoma

Open Angle Glaucoma accounts for roughly 90% of Glaucoma cases, and develops slowly over time, often without any pain. The peripheral (side) vision gets impaired first, followed by the central vision. Because of the symptoms and damage are not noticeable, Glaucoma is often referred to as the silent thief of sight.

Angle Closure Glaucoma

Angle Closure Glaucoma is characterized by a sudden increase in intraocular pressure (eye pressure), which causes symptoms like severe eye pain, blurred vision and even nausea. This type of Glaucoma develops very quickly, and requires emergency treatment.

Risk factors

Although Glaucoma is more commonly known to be related to high intraocular pressure (hypertensive Glaucoma), we are realizing that Glaucoma can even occur in patients with normal intraocular pressure (normotensive Glaucoma). This could be due to multiple factors leading to a compromised circulation to the optic nerve despite normal eye pressure. Hence, it is important to be screened for Glaucoma even in those with normal eye pressures.

Early and regular checkup

Vision loss that is caused by Glaucoma is permanent and non-reversible. Coupled with the fact that the disease can be either silent or swift, it is advisable to get your eyes checked early and regularly to ensure early detection.

Why Asia Retina Eye Surgery Centre

At Asia Retina, we provide Glaucoma screening services to determine your risk factors for this diseases. Once we detect that a patient is at-risk, our surgeon will determine the best course of action to manage and slow the progression of Glaucoma. This is done with medication, laser treatment or surgery.