Glaucoma is often called the “silent thief of sight” because it typically develops slowly and without noticeable symptoms in its early stages. By the time vision problems become apparent, significant damage to the optic nerve may already have occurred. A common misconception is that glaucoma only occurs in the elderly, but actually it can occur at any age, even in babies (congenital glaucoma) and young adults (juvenile 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.
In a healthy eye, a fluid called aqueous humor flows through a drainage system known as the trabecular meshwork, located at the angle where the iris and cornea meet. In open-angle glaucoma, the drainage angle remains open, but the trabecular meshwork becomes partially blocked. This reduces fluid outflow, causing pressure inside the eye to build up slowly over time. The increased pressure can damage the optic nerve, leading to gradual vision loss.
In a healthy eye, the aqueous humor flows freely through the drainage angle, maintaining normal eye pressure. In angle-closure glaucoma, the iris can be pushed or pulled forward, narrowing or completely blocking the drainage angle. This blockage causes a rapid buildup of fluid, leading to a spike in eye pressure. Angle-closure glaucoma can occur suddenly (acute) or develop gradually over time (chronic).
Although glaucoma is commonly associated with high intraocular pressure (hypertensive glaucoma), it can also occur in individuals with normal intraocular pressure, a condition known as normotensive glaucoma. This may result from various factors that compromise blood flow to the optic nerve, even when eye pressure is within the normal range. Therefore, it is crucial to undergo glaucoma screening, regardless of eye pressure levels, particularly if you have risk factors such as a family history of glaucoma, age over 40, or underlying conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Early detection is key to managing the condition and protecting your vision.
Vision loss caused by glaucoma is permanent and irreversible. Given that the disease can progress either silently or rapidly, it is highly recommended to have your eyes checked early and regularly to ensure timely detection and intervention.
At Asia Retina, we provide Glaucoma screening services to determine your risk factors for this disease. 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.
Glaucoma Screening should be done from the age of 40 years old for those with family members who have Glaucoma; and 50 years old for everybody else.
There are different forms of Glaucoma lasers depending on the type of Glaucoma, such as Laser Iridotomy and Laser Trabeculoplasty.
Recent studies have shown that cataract removal alone may cause lowering of eye pressure as the cataract itself may impede the outflow of fluid at the narrowed drainage canal. For this reason, patients who have cataracts might want to consider surgical options .
