What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease of wasting of the optic nerve and the retinal nerve fibers which feed it. With clogging of the drainage sites for the eye fluid, the pressure may rise. However, eye pressure alone does not make for the diagnosis of glaucoma. It is really the health of the blood supply to the back of the eye that supplies those nerve fibers carrying the image from the retinal receptors through the optic nerve to the brain. Reduced blood supply in relationship to the pressure of the fluids inside of the eye will cause a drop out in nerve fibers giving a characteristic picture of optic nerve thinning.

We have two involuntary nervous systems, the parasympathetic and the sympathetic systems. When there is a disturbance in the balance between them, that's when we experience chronic stress. The parasympathetic nervous system controls the relaxation response and slows the heart rate; the sympathetic (or adrenaline) nervous system controls the anxiety response, speeding the heart rate and breathing. In some cases each response is necessary, which is why we have dual nervous system wiring. If a mugger is chasing you down the street, you want your sympathetic (adrenaline) nervous system to go into high gear and get you out of there. After you escape to safety, however, you don't want your heart to continue pounding or to remain in a state of high anxiety. Then, your parasympathetic nervous system takes over, relaxing you, and slowing your heart rate and breathing. With sustained imbalance between these two nervous systems, diseases like glaucoma can develop. We know chronic stress is not good for health in general. That's why it's extremely important to learn how to deal with stress through rhythmic, exercise meditation or other stress busters.

While the exact reason for how glaucoma damages the optic nerve is unknown, it is clear that all types of glaucoma are due to the lack of blood flow to the retina and optic nerve.

If you are at risk for developing glaucoma, take that risk seriously. Glaucoma is the second most important cause of blindness in the United States (after diabetic retinopathy). If glaucoma is detected early and treated properly, blindness can be prevented.

Many senior adults are affected by glaucoma and do not even know it. There are usually no early warning signs and most people are unaware that anything is wrong.

Glaucoma, in most cases, is an elevated pressure inside of the eye. This increase in pressure causes damage to the optic nerve and therefore leads to vision loss.  Most of the time, the disease progresses slowly. Usually there is no pain. Sometimes in susceptible people, the pressure rises rapidly and the patient experiences sudden decreased vision and intense eye pain. In either case, loss of vision from glaucoma can usually be prevented if the disease is detected and treated early.

When glaucoma is suspected, a test can detect subtle vision loss. This test is called a visual field test. If the ophthalmologist feels that glaucoma is present, the pressure can usually be lowered with eye drops or pills. In rare cases, laser surgery or an operative procedure may be necessary to lower the pressure and preserve the sight.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. It is a disease of the optic nerve, which is the part of the eye that carries the images we see from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma can damage nerve fibers, causing blind spots in our vision.

High eye pressure or intraocular pressure (IO P) can put you at risk for developing glaucoma. Aqueous humor is a clear liquid that normally flows in and out of the eye. When this liquid cannot drain properly, pressure builds up in the eye. The resulting increase in IOP can damage the optic nerve.

The most important risk factors for glaucoma include:

• Age
• Elevated eye pressure
• Family history of glaucoma
• African or Latino ancestry
• Past eye injuries

The only sure way to detect glaucoma is with a complete eye examination. Symptoms of glaucoma are not noticeable until damage has already occurred. Early diagnosis and treatment are the keys to preventing blindness.

Your ophthalmologist can determine if you have glaucoma after examining the pressure in your eye, your optic nerve and your peripheral (side) vision.

Glaucoma is usually controlled with eyedrops. Laser surgery or operative surgery may be done if the drops do not control the disease. These treatments only stop further damage; they cannot reverse any damage or loss of sight that has already occurred. That is why early detection and taking eyedrops as prescribed are so important to prevent blindness from glaucoma.

Glaucoma is the presence of increased pressure in the eyeball. The fluid that makes up the inside of the eye (called the "vitreous humor") circulates into and out of the eye. When the flow out of the eye is slowed, pressure inside the eye rises. Holistic physicians suspect the backup of fluid in the eye may be caused by lack of integrity of the collagen in the eye tissues.

Untreated glaucoma can put pressure on and damage the optic nerve, causing visual field loss which can progress to blindness. One person may develop nerve damage at a relatively low pressure, while another person may have high eye pressure for years and yet never develop damage.

Chronic glaucoma has been nicknamed the "sneak thief of sight" because the loss of visual field often occurs gradually over a long time with no other symptoms, and may only be recognized when it is already quite advanced.

When acute glaucoma occurs, however, one often has severe throbbing pain in one eye and blurred vision, the pupil not getting smaller when you shine a light on it, and sometimes nausea and even vomiting. This uncommon form of glaucoma is a medical emergency, and must be treated surgically immediately (preferably within 12 hours) to prevent blindness ? so get to the eye doctor or emergency room immediately if this occurs.

Paradoxically, while synthetic adrenal steroids like prednisone (especially in high dose) can cause glaucoma, natural adrenal support may help lower the eye pressure.

Eye pressure is easily checked at your local eye specialist (including opticians) by simply blowing a puff of air on the eye, and should be checked each 2 years during regular eye exams.

Glaucoma refers to increased pressure within the eye (intraocular), which results from greater production than outflow of the fluid of the eye (the aqueous humor). The normal intraocular pressure (IOP) is about 10 to 21 mm Hg. In chronic glaucoma, the IOP is usually mildly to moderately elevated, at 22 to 40 mm Hg. In acute glaucoma, the IOP is greater than 40 mm Hg.

Glaucoma is the name given to a group of conditions caused by increased intraocular (inside the eye) pressure, or IOP, resulting either from a malformation or malfunction of the eye's drainage system. Left untreated, an elevated IOP may cause irreversible damage to the optic nerve and retinal fibers resulting in a progressive, permanent loss of vision. However, early detection and treatment can slow or even halt the progression of the disease.

Most individuals with glaucoma are not aware of problems with their vision. This is because the central vision (for reading and recognizing people) is only affected when glaucoma has advanced to a late stage. Even when central vision is still good, glaucoma may affect the vision needed for driving and other daily functions, including seeing steps or reading.

For most glaucoma sufferers, the main effect of the condition is the inconvenience of taking eye drops daily. Blindness from glaucoma is rare. If blindness does occur, it is usually because the glaucoma is already advanced when it is first diagnosed, because the eye pressure has not responded well to treatment, or because patients have not used their prescription eye drops regularly.

Healthcare professionals recommend that individuals at risk for glaucoma should get eye exams at least every two years. According to the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP), higher risk populations include African Americans over age 40, individuals over age 60 (especially Mexican Americans), and individuals with a family history of glaucoma. Inhaled steroids, such as beclomethasone (Beclovent®), fluticosone (Flovent®), and budesonide (Pulmicort®), may also increase the risk of developing glaucoma.

It is estimated that over three million Americans have glaucoma but only half of those know they have it. Approximately 120,000 are blind from glaucoma, accounting for 9-12% of all cases of blindness in the United States. About two percent of the population ages 40-50 years and eight percent over 70 years of age have elevated IOP.

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Glaucoma is a progressive loss of vision from damage to the optic nerve, a set of nerves that runs from the retina (the membrane at the back of the eyeball) to the brain. The damage usually occurs because the watery fluid of the eyeball (the aqueous humor) does not circulate properly through various parts of the eye, and the fluid (and pressure) builds up in the eyeball. Eventually, this high intraocular pressure (IOP) kills cells and nerve fibers and can lead to blindness.

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Glaucoma is a serious eye condition, in which pressure is high within the eye. It can cause permanent vision loss. There are two types of glaucoma. One occurs suddenly, and if it is not treated within hours it will cause permanent vision loss. The other type occurs slowly over the years, and the patient may not realize that vision is slowly being lost.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve at the back of your eye. This can cause vision loss. Although the cause of glaucoma isn't clear, experts think it's often related to a buildup of pressure in the eye.

Glaucoma can be easily detected during regular eye exams. It usually responds well to treatment with medicine.