Glaucoma Symptoms

Glaucoma is an eye disease that occurs as a result of damage to the optic nerve. This kind of damage occurs because of excess amount of pressure inside the eye ball. The damage caused by glaucoma is irreversible, and if left untreated, it can cause blindness. Usually, this eye problem affects those who are above the age of 65 years. However, diabetic patients, people who are taking medicines for high blood pressure, or those who have severe form of short sightedness are prone to glaucoma as well. The worst part is that its symptoms show up only when the eye disorder is already at an advanced stage.

Various Forms of Glaucoma

Each of the specific type of glaucoma has its own set of symptoms. Following are the symptoms and causes of the different forms:

Open-angle: This is the most common form of glaucoma. It is caused due to blockage in the canals of the eyes. As a result, the normal drainage of the canals get affected and results in accumulation of fluid and intraocular pressure (or IOP). In most cases of open angle glaucoma, patients do not notice any symptoms. Some people may find slight peripheral vision loss. However, it is so less, that it often goes undetected. By the time it gets detected it may have already done extensive damage to the vision.

Closed-angle: This is a rare form of glaucoma and is also known as acute glaucoma. This results from narrowing down of the opening that lies in between the cornea and the iris. In this case fluid build up takes place at a rapid pace. It may result in sudden onset of glaucoma symptoms. Pain in the eyes, nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, loss of vision, are some of the most commonly observed symptoms. Some patients complain of rainbow colored circle in front of the eyes when they look at bright eyes. Within a period of just few hours, one may experience permanent vision loss.

Normal-tension: The strange part of this form of glaucoma is that it will cause damage to the optic nerve and lead to vision loss but the eye pressure remains normal. This is mostly caused due to low blood pressure. It is more commonly found in women than in men.

In Infants: Glaucoma which is found in infants or small children is known as primary congenital glaucoma. It is caused due to congenital or hereditary factors. The symptoms are difficult to detect as children are unable to recognize them. Some of the apparent symptoms of glaucoma that parents can identify are cloudy cornea, hazy eyes, constant tearing of the eyes and extra sensitivity towards light. It is more common in boy child than in girl child.

In Dogs: The unique feature of glaucoma in dogs is that for some unknown reason it affects their left eye first. Female dogs are more prone to glaucoma than the male dogs. The observed symptoms in dogs are enlargement and reddening of the affected eye which may vary from mild to severe and is accompanied by tearing of the eyes and photophobia.

Treatment

There is no treatment that can cure glaucoma completely. However, certain measures can be taken to reduce the pressure inside the eye and prevent further damage to the vision of the eyes. Doctors prescribe some eye drops that will lower the pressure from the eyes to a large extent. In case the medicines fail to prevent the damage of the eyes then the option of surgery has to be availed. As an alternative therapy, patients can try acupuncture as it has showed effective results in some people. Certain exercises like aerobic exercises or walking exercises can improve flow of blood to the retina and lower eye pressure.

There is no way that one can prevent glaucoma. An early detection of symptoms and treatment at the initial stage can be highly beneficial for prevention of an extensive damage to the eyes. For this reason, even for a small change of vision, one should consult an ophthalmologist. People above the age of 60 and diabetic patients should be extra careful about symptoms and get an eye check up done regularly. Those who have a family history of glaucoma should also do the same.