Millions of people across the world are blind because of glaucoma. This makes it one of the biggest contributors to vision loss worldwide. Unfortunately, this condition can be hard to diagnose since symptoms develop gradually over many years. Consequently, many people only seek treatment when they start losing their sight. 

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye condition resulting from damage to the eye’s optic nerve. It typically worsens over time due to the buildup of pressure inside the eye. Usually, it runs in families and often develops later in life. 

Increased intraocular pressure damages the optic nerve, which can cause permanent loss of vision. It can lead to blindness after several years. Most people with this condition do not experience any pain or early symptoms. Thus, it is vital to undergo regular eye exams. That will allow your eye doctor to diagnose and treat the condition early before you suffer long-term vision loss. 

Causes

Glaucoma refers to a group of eye conditions resulting from improperly drained eye fluid. This improper drainage creates excess pressure in the eye, which damages the optic nerve. Eye experts are yet to fully understand the causes of glaucoma. 

What they know is that myopia, diabetes, racial background, family history, and age are risk factors. It is most common in individuals over the age of 60, but it can affect individuals of all ages. 

Types of Glaucoma

There are two main types of glaucoma. These are primary open-angle and acute angle-closure glaucoma. Treatment depends on the type one has. However, the former is more common than the latter. Other types of glaucoma are pigmentary glaucoma, normal-tension glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma. 

Do You Have Glaucoma?

If you have open-angle glaucoma, you may not experience any symptoms. Usually, symptoms start showing late in the disease, making it the sneak thief of vision. However, you can watch out for loss of peripheral vision, the most common symptom of this eye condition. 

On the other hand, the symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma tend to develop faster. If you have this condition, damage to your eyes can happen quite quickly. Hence, you need to see your eye doctor right away if you notice the following symptoms:

• Vision loss.
• Seeing halos around lights.
• Eye pain.
• Redness in your eyes.
• An eye that appears lazy, especially in kids.

Diagnosis

Glaucoma tests do not take long and are painless. To diagnose this condition, your eye doctor will test your vision and examine your eyes after dilating your pupils. The doctor will also check your optic nerve for any signs of glaucoma. They may also photograph your eyes to help spot any changes during your next eye exam. 

Eye doctors also perform a tonometry test to check for eye pressure. You may also undergo a visual field test to determine whether you have a loss of peripheral vision. If your eye doctor suspects that you have glaucoma, they may order an imaging test of your optic nerve.

For more on glaucoma, call Raleigh Eye Center at (919) 899-2472 to reach our offices in Raleigh, Durham, Reidsville, North Carolina, or South Hill, Virginia.