Imagine a dark, hollow and shapeless world; blindness is a reality for many. Some have to deal with it from birth, while for some their sight is lost over time, as with glaucoma.
Let Us First Understand, What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma, also known as the “silent thief of sight”, is one of the most commonly found condition among older adults. glaucoma is a complex disease which leads to gradual damage to the optic nerve, leading to an irreversible loss of vision.
Generally, glaucoma occurs due to two different causes – Firstly, when the defect lies in the eye. Secondly, when the optic nerve is damaged. Most of the time, people tend to ignore early symptoms, if they have any, leading to an incurable and irreversible loss of vision.
How Does It Happen Over Time?
Glaucoma is not just a single disease; it is an outcome of a group of various conditions with a single thread joining them all – the damage to the optic nerve.
The liquid that forms inside the eye and gets constantly drained out is called Aqueous Humour, don’t confuse it with tears. Tears are formed outside the eye, while the aqueous humour is constantly forming on the inner core of the eye.
A slight imbalance in the forming and draining of this liquid leads to a gradual increase of eye pressure which in turn leads to loss of sight over the time, if not treated. The two most common types of glaucoma are Open-Angle glaucoma and Closed-angle glaucoma.
Now Let Us Talk About, What are The Causes of Glaucoma?
- Ethnicity
- Genetic
- Medical Disorder
- Age
These are some of the most common causes of glaucoma, and therefore, it is always advised to have a regular health checkups for all those diseases which often never give early symptoms.
Common Symptoms, If Any, Include:
- Hazy vision
- Low reading ability
- Migraines
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headaches
Glaucoma is generally described as a disease affecting the peripheral vision of the eye. On the contrary, it affects both the peripheral as well as the central vision.
For Example, A healthy person will use their field of view when reading a line and moving on to the next. They will find no difficulty in reading and understanding the text. On the other hand, a person with severe glaucoma loses his sight and capability to understand the text over time.
Follow these steps if you are dealing with a central vision problem :
- Increase the text size for a better reading capability and broad view
- Read under good lighting conditions so that the strain is less on your eyes
- Do not read at night in dim light. If possible, sit outdoors and read in natural light.
- Start your reading habit on a tablet or a kindle.
Glaucoma Treatment & Prevention:
- Most of the times, people opt for Lasik eye surgery, if medication fails to treat the disease.
- Use eye drops and pills prescribed by the doctor.
- Stick to a healthy diet and include green vegetables in your meals.
We are sure this article will help you understand the risks, symptoms and measures to be taken when dealing with glaucoma. Although we know there lies no such medication or treatment that can cure glaucoma but if diagnosed at an early stage it can be treated more effectively minimizing the loss of vision.
