Last Updated on March 29, 2021
Have you heard about glaucoma? This eye disease is the leading cause of blindness for people over 60, and the National Eye Institute (a division of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services) estimates that about 11 to 67 million people suffer from this condition worldwide.
Given the importance of our eye health and the fact that glaucoma is more common than people might think and causes vision loss that can’t be recovered, it is worth being aware of what it is and how to detect it during its early stages. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about this preventable eye problem!
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1. What is glaucoma exactly?
Here’s how healthy eyes work: fluid is produced in the front of the eye and is sent out through a tiny little drain in the drainage angle called the trabecular meshwork.
If for some reason, the fluid doesn’t flow out of the drainage angle as it is supposed to, it will slowly build up in the front part and drastically increase eye pressure. Eventually, this will lead to damage of the optic nerve – glaucoma.
There are several different types of glaucoma with slightly different causes, but the two major ones are the primary open-angle glaucoma and closed-angle glaucoma.
Primary open-angle glaucoma:
As previously described, primary open-angle glaucoma occurs when the eye is not capable of draining fluid as expected, and the fluid builds and damages the optic nerve due to abnormal pressure. The cornea and iris are still open, but the trabecular meshwork becomes blocked in a similar way to a clogged drain.
It is the most common type of glaucoma and happens so slowly, gradually, and painlessly that most patients don’t notice any vision problems until it reaches an advanced state.
Closed-angle glaucoma:
Also known as angle-closure glaucoma, this type of eye injury occurs when the iris bulges forward and ends up blocking the drainage angle. This leads to an abrupt increase in eye pressure, which in turn causes an acute attack.
