Are You at Risk of Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States, and its onset is so gradual that patients may not even know they have it until it is at an advanced stage. Worse still, vision loss from glaucoma cannot be recovered. Be sure to have your eyes checked regularly; further vision loss can be slowed or prevented with the right treatment. But even with treatment, about 15 percent of glaucoma patients become blind in at least one eye within 20 years.

Glaucoma is caused by damage to and deterioration of the optic nerve. The damage is often related to increased pressure in the eye. Th pressure is derived from a fluid buildup. The fluid – aqueous humor – flows throughout your eyes and normally drains into the front of the front, anterior chamber. When this drainage system does not work, or when there is an over-production of fluid, the aqueous humor cannot flow out at its normal rate and pressure accrues.

There are known risk factors for glaucoma, and since the disease can sneak up on you, it is especially important to be checked regularly if you fall into any of these categories:

·         Being over age 60;

·         Being black or Hispanic;

·         Having a family history of the condition;

·         Having certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and sickle cell anemia;

·         Having nearsightedness;

·         Having taken corticosteroid medications, especially eyedrops, for a long time;

·         Having had an eye injury;

·         Having early estrogen deficiency, such as can occur after removal of both ovaries before age 43;

There are a few treatments for glaucoma, and they usually begin with eyedrops. Depending upon which drops your doctor prescribes, the medication may reduce the production of aqueous humor, increase the outflow of the fluid, and/or directly reduce pressure in your eye.

Your doctor may also decide to treat your glaucoma using laser therapy or various surgical procedures. In the former, which may often be accomplished in your doctor's office, a laser beam is used to open clogged channels within your eye to facilitate drainage. Surgery can likewise be used to clear drainage areas, or to insert a small tube into your eye to facilitate it.

Although they are no substitute for prescription medication, and there is no clinical proof of their effectiveness, the botanicals bilberry and ginkgo have long been highly regarded for their effectiveness in managing glaucoma.

Sources: The Mayo Clinic