Glaucoma

1. What is Glaucoma?
The damage of optic nerve due to the increased pressure in an eye.

 
2. Types of Glaucoma

(A) Primary

Aqueous humor is a clear, watery fluid circulating in the chamber of the eye between the cornea and the lens. It helps to maintain the intraocular pressure, inflate the globe of the eye and provides nutrition (e.g. amino acids and glucose) for the avascular ocular tissues. High intraocular pressure (IOP) can lead to the destruction of the optic nerve that cannot be reversed and can be permanent damage in vision.

• Open Angle Glaucoma (Chronic): It refers to slow clogging of the drainage canals (Trabecular meshwork) resulting in increased eye pressure which causes progressive optic nerve damage. 
• Angle Closure Glaucoma (Acute or Chronic): It is a result of the narrowing of angle between the iris and cornea and led to an increase in IOP.

(B) Secondary

It is caused by other diseases, such as diabetes, cataract, eye injury or use of steroids.

(C) Normal Tension

It is a condition where the optic nerve is damaged even the eye pressure is in normal range.  A visual field test should be proformed to screen for normal tension glaucoma. 

(D) Congenital

The abnormalities in the anterior chamber angle development that blocks outflow of the aqueous humor.

3. Symptoms of Glaucoma

• Acute angle closure: blurred vision, eye pain, redness, headache, see halos around lights, nausea, vomiting, etc
• Chronic: Without noticeable symptoms, vision will be gradually narrowed and blurred

4. High Risk Factors for Glaucoma

• Family history
• Suffering from diabetes, hypertension, heart disease
• Mirgraine
• High myopia
• Eyes have been suffered an injury
• Prologoned use of steroids

5. Diagnosis of Glaucoma