Glaucoma

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a condition where the optic nerve of one’s eye is damaged by the internal pressure within the eye.

The condition can cause permanent/total loss of vision if left untreated.

Angle-closure glaucoma

In this type of glaucoma, there is partial or complete blockage of the eye’s drainage resulting in elevated eye pressure . If complete blockage occurs suddenly, eye pressure rises rapidly causes an acute glaucoma attack. This is an emergency condition which would cause a severe, and painful rise in the eye pressure with loss of vision.

In the chronic version, the drainage angles close over time thereby leading to a rise in eye pressure with subsequent damage to the optic nerve and loss of vision.
Open-angle glaucoma

In this type of glaucoma, an increase in eye pressure occurs gradually over time due to the reducing efficiency of the eye’s drainage system. Open-angle glaucoma can run in families.
Congenital glaucoma

A less common group of glaucomas that develops in infants and young children that can be inherited.
Secondary glaucoma

Secondary glaucoma refers to cases where other eye conditions or diseases contribute to increased eye pressure. It may be caused by:
- Eye injury
- Inflammation
- Advanced cases of cataract or diabetic complications
- Drugs, such as the long-term use of steroids

Typically no symptoms occur until much later when central vision is affected. In the acute form, there may be:

Glaucoma treatment may include prescription eye drops, laser surgery, or surgery.

Eye drops are the first-line of treatment and are used to reduce the formation of fluid in the eye or increase its outflow.
Laser surgery for glaucoma increases the outflow of the fluid from the eye in open-angle glaucoma or eliminates the fluid blockage in angle-closure glaucoma or reduce the production of fluid (aqueous) inside the eye.
Types of laser surgery for glaucoma include:
- Trabeculoplasty, in which a laser is used to open or improve function of the trabecular meshwork drainage area;
- Iridectomy, in which a tiny hole is made in the iris, allowing the fluid to flow more freely;
- Cyclophotocoagulation, in which the production of fluid is reduced.
In glaucoma surgery, alternative channels are created to augment the outflow of aqueous from the eye, thereby lowering eye pressure.

We would like to thank Jerry Tan Eye Surgery for some of the content used in our website.