{"id":4819,"date":"2022-03-01T00:35:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T00:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvereyesurgeons.com\/?p=4819"},"modified":"2024-12-11T18:55:30","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T18:55:30","slug":"what-is-glaucoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whiteboxvision.com\/ecnc\/2022\/03\/01\/what-is-glaucoma\/","title":{"rendered":"What is glaucoma?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Are you aware that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, globally? This condition affects about three million people in the United States alone, and if it\u2019s left untreated, it can permanently impact vision. What, exactly, is glaucoma? Would you know if you had it? How is it treated? Here\u2019s all you need to know about this common but serious eye condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glaucoma is actually a term that covers a group of eye disorders. These disorders cause damage to the optic nerve due to fluid buildup in the eye. To understand glaucoma, it\u2019s important to know that a fluid called aqueous humor is constantly being created by the eye. This fluid drains out continually, to keep the pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure, or IOP) stable. If the area through which the fluid drains, called the drainage angle, is not working correctly, the fluid builds up, increasing IOP and damaging the optic nerve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The optic nerve sends signals from the retina to the brain, and it\u2019s actually made up of over a million nerve fibers. When eye pressure starts building, it damages these fibers. As they die, blind spots develop in the person\u2019s vision. When all of the fibers have died, the person becomes blind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glaucoma can affect anyone, but older people are at higher risk. A person\u2019s ethnicity plays a role, too. Someone of African or Latin descent has a heightened risk of glaucoma, and Asian and Inuit people are more likely to have one specific type of glaucoma. People with diabetes have double the risk of other people, and factors like farsightedness, nearsightedness, a previous eye injury or surgery, hypertension, use of corticosteroids, and a family history of glaucoma are also risk factors. In some cases, people without increased eye pressure can get glaucoma. In those cases, it\u2019s diagnosed by signs like blind spots in the field of vision or optic nerve damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its early stages, glaucoma has no symptoms, and people often don\u2019t even know they have it. This is one reason regular eye exams are important. Only through a complete eye exam can an ophthalmologist determine whether a person has glaucoma, but an early diagnosis is crucial for successful treatment. Checking the eye pressure is not enough; the doctor will also inspect the eye\u2019s drainage angle, examine and measure the optic nerve, test the peripheral vision, and measure the cornea\u2019s thickness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glaucoma damage is permanent and irreversible, but when it\u2019s caught early, glaucoma can be treated to prevent further damage. Treatments include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n