Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a disease that damages the eye's optic nerve through increased fluid pressure within the eye. The anterior chamber, or small space in the front of the eye, is where clear liquid flows in and out, nourishing and bathing the nearby tissues and keeping it from drying up. Glaucoma causes the fluid to drain too slowly out of the eye. The build up of fluid creates pressure inside the eye, which, if not treated, could damage the optic nerve and other parts of the eye, leading to loss of vision.
There are two main types of glaucoma: open angle and closed angle. The angle refers to the area where the fluid in the eye flows through between the iris and cornea, where it escapes by the travecular meshwork. Closed angle glaucoma can come suddenly with experiences of pain and rapid vision loss. Symptoms of pain and discomfort require medical help, which prompts treatment and usually prevents permanent damage from occurring. Open angle glaucoma progresses very slowly, and symptoms aren't as noticeable. Slight loss of vision may go unnoticed. Because the symptoms are mainly unnoticeable, many people don't get medical until permanent damage has been done. Other types of glaucoma include low-tension glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma, primary glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma. Low-tension glaucoma has not been researched much because of its low occurrence, but optic nerve damage still occurs even though eye pressure is normal. The reason for this may be that the optic nerve is over sensitive or there is atherosclerosis (a condition where the arteries become narrowed and hardened due to excessive build up of plaque around the artery wall) in the blood vessel that supplies the optic nerve. Pigmentary glaucoma develops during early or middle adulthood. It is caused by dispersed pigment granules within the eye that rose from the back of the iris. If the pigment granules build up in the travecular meshwork, they can undermine the flow of fluids in the eye, resulting in a rise in eye pressure. Running and other sports can cause pigment granules to rise into the travecular meshwork. Secondary glaucoma is caused by tumors, diabetes, advanced cataract, or inflammation.
There are two main types of glaucoma: open angle and closed angle. The angle refers to the area where the fluid in the eye flows through between the iris and cornea, where it escapes by the travecular meshwork. Closed angle glaucoma can come suddenly with experiences of pain and rapid vision loss. Symptoms of pain and discomfort require medical help, which prompts treatment and usually prevents permanent damage from occurring. Open angle glaucoma progresses very slowly, and symptoms aren't as noticeable. Slight loss of vision may go unnoticed. Because the symptoms are mainly unnoticeable, many people don't get medical until permanent damage has been done. Other types of glaucoma include low-tension glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma, primary glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma. Low-tension glaucoma has not been researched much because of its low occurrence, but optic nerve damage still occurs even though eye pressure is normal. The reason for this may be that the optic nerve is over sensitive or there is atherosclerosis (a condition where the arteries become narrowed and hardened due to excessive build up of plaque around the artery wall) in the blood vessel that supplies the optic nerve. Pigmentary glaucoma develops during early or middle adulthood. It is caused by dispersed pigment granules within the eye that rose from the back of the iris. If the pigment granules build up in the travecular meshwork, they can undermine the flow of fluids in the eye, resulting in a rise in eye pressure. Running and other sports can cause pigment granules to rise into the travecular meshwork. Secondary glaucoma is caused by tumors, diabetes, advanced cataract, or inflammation.
The above diagram depicts the normal fluid movement. The aqueous humor is released from the anterior chamber and releases a fluid that nourishes and bathes the eye tissue. After that, the fluid drains from the eye through the trabecular meshwork. However, sometimes, the fluid can't get through, causing a build up of fluid and pressure in the eye. The pressure causes cells to die at the optic nerve.
Symptoms of open and close angle glaucoma are lost peripheral vision, tunnel vision (in advanced stages), eye pain, blurred vision, red eyes, and sometimes unexpected vision problems when lighting is poor. Risk factors that raises the risk of developing the disease that are linked to glaucoma are old age (over sixty years of age), ethnic background (east asians because they have shallower anterior chamber depth), illnesses, eye injuries, eye surgery, myopia (nearsightedness), and corticosteroids (steroid hormones).
Treatment options for glaucoma are mainly eye drops. Examples of eye drops are prostagladin analogues (increase outflow of fluid inside eye), beta blockers (reduce amount of fluid eye produces), carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (reduce fluid production), cholinergic agents (help fluids flow out of eye), and sympathomimetic drugs (reduce produce of fluid and increase flow out of eye). Other than eye drops, surgery is the other option. Trabeculoplasty uses a high-energy laser beam to unblock clogged drainage canals, making it easier for fluids to drain out. However, this does not prevent glaucoma from coming back. Filtering surgery (viscocanalostomy) uses a high-beam energy laser to create an opening in the white of the eye and removes a small piece of the travecular meshwork, allowing the fluid to leave through the opening. A drainage implant (aqueous shunt implant) is mainly used for children or those diagnosed with secondary glaucoma. A small silicone tube is inserted into the eye to help drain fluids out.
Treatment options for glaucoma are mainly eye drops. Examples of eye drops are prostagladin analogues (increase outflow of fluid inside eye), beta blockers (reduce amount of fluid eye produces), carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (reduce fluid production), cholinergic agents (help fluids flow out of eye), and sympathomimetic drugs (reduce produce of fluid and increase flow out of eye). Other than eye drops, surgery is the other option. Trabeculoplasty uses a high-energy laser beam to unblock clogged drainage canals, making it easier for fluids to drain out. However, this does not prevent glaucoma from coming back. Filtering surgery (viscocanalostomy) uses a high-beam energy laser to create an opening in the white of the eye and removes a small piece of the travecular meshwork, allowing the fluid to leave through the opening. A drainage implant (aqueous shunt implant) is mainly used for children or those diagnosed with secondary glaucoma. A small silicone tube is inserted into the eye to help drain fluids out.