Glaucoma
By Satya Reddy, MD, Louisiana Cornea Specialists, Northshore LIVING WELL Magazine
The second leading cause of blindness, glaucoma has been called the “Silent Thief of Sight.” Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that, if untreated, can result in painless, progressive vision loss. With untreated glaucoma, a person can gradually lose peripheral vision, not realizing the extent of loss until a very advanced stage. This potentially blinding disease affects 2.3 million people over the age of 40. The American Academy of Ophthalmology estimates that another two million people are undiagnosed. (Considering the 2010 census counted about 62 million people over 40, which is nearly 7% of people over 40.) The incidence of glaucoma increases with age, affecting nearly 10% of people over 80. Elderly people with African or Hispanic heritage are five times more likely to develop glaucoma and 15 times more likely to suffer some degree of blindness from it. Long term steroid use (such as prednisone for COPD) increases the risk of glaucoma.
Open angle glaucoma is the most common type, accounting for approximately three fourths of the prevalence. Narrow angle glaucoma is far less common, accounting for less than 10% of all glaucoma. However, this form of glaucoma can have sudden and dramatic symptoms such as headache, eye pain, blurred vision, red eye, nausea and tearing. People at risk for this type of glaucoma may notice dull headaches with mildly foggy vision when awakening. If dull headaches in the morning become common, an eye exam should be performed to evaluate for nocturnal episodes of narrow angle glaucoma.
As with many medical conditions, early diagnosis and treatment is a must. Currently, there is no treatment to recover vision already lost. However, with early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, vision loss can be minimized and progression of the disease slowed. To diagnose glaucoma, a complete eye exam is necessary, including dilation to evaluate the optic nerve. Intraocular pressure is measured and sometimes the cornea (the front surface of the eye) is also measured. If necessary, more extensive testing may include formal peripheral vision testing or sophisticated imaging to evaluate the nerve layer on the retina (the back surface of the eye).
Treatment for glaucoma includes eye drops, laser surgery, and conventional surgery. The goal of surgery is to optimize the fluid pathways within the eye to control intraocular pressure. Treatment is not meant to “cure” glaucoma, rather, it is to control glaucoma. Any vision already lost cannot be recovered, so the goal of treatment is to reduce further vision loss. Glaucoma is a chronic condition that requires routine and regular follow up with an eye doctor.
For more information, please visit the following websites:
www.glaucoma.org
Dr. Reddy is with Louisiana Cornea Specialists and may be reached at 985-893-8290.
