What is Glaucoma? 

Glaucoma occurs when your eye cannot maintain a balance between the amount of intraocular fluid your eye produces. Intraocular fluid maintains the shape of your eye and flows between the iris and the lens. When there is an imbalance, the pressure in your eye increases. Too much pressure causes damage to the optic nerve, which is the part of the eye that is responsible for sight. If left untreated, over time the pressure created by glaucoma can impact your ability to see clearly. 

Common Cause of Glaucoma

Glaucoma can also be caused by blunt or chemical eye injuries, a severe infection, blocked blood vessels, and inflammatory conditions.

Risk Factors for Glaucoma

Glaucoma can be hereditary and affect people of all ages, including infants, children, and young adults. It can cause throbbing headaches, extreme eye pressure, redness of the eye, and reduced peripheral vision. If you have a family history of glaucoma or are at risk for the disease, tell your doctor. This can help protect your eyes and prevent discomfort. Additional risk factors for glaucoma include:

• African American, Irish, Russian, Japanese, Hispanic, Inuit, or Scandinavian background

• Diabetes

• Heart disease

• Sickle cell anemia

• Hypertension

• High blood pressure

• High eye pressure

• Steroids including hydrocortisone and prednisone

• Medications for bladder control and seizures

• Some over-the-counter cold remedies

• Previous eye injury 

• Family history of glaucoma

• Nearsightedness or farsightedness

• Thin corneas

Understanding Your Glaucoma Treatment Options

Glaucoma cannot be prevented, and damage to the optic nerve cannot be reversed, but it can be slowed down and managed. The team at The EyeDoctors Optometrists can help you with glaucoma, including identifying it, diagnosing it, and treating it. They will work with you to find the best treatment option to keep your eyes healthy. Two of the most common glaucoma treatments include:

• Eye Drops: Eye drops are designed to decrease pressure in the eye by limiting the production of intraocular fluid or by promoting better outflow. Like all glaucoma medications, you must have a prescription for these drops. One drawback is that they require continuous, daily use to prevent loss of vision.

• Glaucoma Surgery: The most common type of surgery to treat glaucoma involves inserting a device to help fluid flow out of the eye.  Our glaucoma specialists perform this painless procedure using the smallest FDA-approved stent available, the iStent®. Most patients don’t even feel the device or need to use eye drops as much after surgery or at all.