Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible
blindness in the world today.
However many people have the condition without knowing it as it can be completely painless until it is detected during a routine eye exam or until sight has been irretrievably lost The space at the front of the eye between the iris and cornea is filled with a clear fluid called aqueous humor. In a normal eye, this fluid is continually produced through a series of holes called the trabecular network and is drained away through the same holes.
Glaucoma occurs when the drainage canals become blocked. If the fluid cannot drain away normally, the pressure inside the eye called the intra-ocular pressure begins to rise. The elevated pressure causes the center of the optic nerve called the optic disk to bulge outwards. This is known as optic nerve cupping. It is this that results in loss of peripheral vision, contrast sensitivity and ultimately blindness.
However many people have the condition without knowing it as it can be completely painless until it is detected during a routine eye exam or until sight has been irretrievably lost The space at the front of the eye between the iris and cornea is filled with a clear fluid called aqueous humor. In a normal eye, this fluid is continually produced through a series of holes called the trabecular network and is drained away through the same holes.
Glaucoma occurs when the drainage canals become blocked. If the fluid cannot drain away normally, the pressure inside the eye called the intra-ocular pressure begins to rise. The elevated pressure causes the center of the optic nerve called the optic disk to bulge outwards. This is known as optic nerve cupping. It is this that results in loss of peripheral vision, contrast sensitivity and ultimately blindness.
The disease can also be described as either open angle or closed angle depending on the size of the angle where the iris meets the cornea. Treatment for glaucoma revolves around lowering the intra ocular pressure which can be achieved by reducing the production of aqueous or improving its drainage. Drug therapy, laser treatment and surgery are all used. With recent improvements, surgical treatment shows promise providing a one-off, long term solution..
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