Glaucoma refers to eye issues that harm the optic nerve, which carries visual information from the eye to the brain. The disease is related to increased intraocular pressure, and damage to the optic nerve can cause vision loss, including blindness.
Causes of Glaucoma
The inside of the front of your eye is filled with a watery type of fluid called aqueous humor. This fluid in your eye creates intraocular pressure (IOP), which keeps it healthy and in the right shape. The aqueous humor is different from tears. The eye’s drainage system becomes blocked in patients with glaucoma, so the intraocular fluid cannot drain. The aqueous fluid builds up, causing pressure inside the eye to build. This high pressure harms the eye nerves, resulting in loss of vision and even blindness.
Types of Glaucoma
The main types of Glaucoma are given below:
- Primary open-angle glaucoma – Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma. It develops when the drainage system of the eye becomes blocked over time. IOP increases because the fluid cannot drain out of the eye. This kind of glaucoma occurs slowly, and people who suffer from primary open-angle glaucoma do not notice any signs for many years. A majority of Glaucoma patients experience no symptoms and no early warning signs. If the problem is not treated correctly, it can cause vision loss. The good news is that the problem usually responds to medication if it is caught at an early stage. Careprost eye drops are very effective in treating patients with glaucoma.
- Closed-angle glaucoma—also called acute or narrow-angle glaucoma —is rare and different from open-angle glaucoma. In this type of glaucoma, damage to the eye (optic nerve) happens quickly due to increased intraocular pressure.
- Normal tension glaucoma—Normal tension glaucoma develops when an IOP of less than 21mmHg still causes damage to the eye nerve. This type of glaucoma can also be called low-tension glaucoma. It is believed to be associated with poor blood flow to the optic nerve, which causes cell death (death of cells that carry impulses from the retina to the brain). This kind of glaucoma can be diagnosed by repeated examinations by eye specialists to determine optic nerve damage or vision loss.
- Secondary glaucoma—Secondary eye glaucoma occurs due to other eye conditions, such as injury, tumor, inflammation, advanced diabetes mellitus, or cataracts. The problem may also occur due to the use of certain medications, such as steroids. The type of glaucoma may be mild or severe. The treatments depend on whether it is open or close-angle glaucoma.
- Congenital glaucoma—Congenital glaucoma occurs when a baby is born with glaucoma. It is a rare inherited type of open-angle glaucoma. If your baby is diagnosed with congenital glaucoma, then this means your baby’s drainage area is not properly developed before birth. This causes elevated pressure in the eye, leading to vision loss from optic nerve damage and an enlarged eye. Early treatment with careprost drugs or surgery is critical in young children to preserve their sight.
Marie
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