Glaucoma

Learn more about Glaucoma from an eye doctor in your area!

InfoCenter

July 05, 2008

Glaucoma info and access to doctors who specialize in Glaucoma!

About Glaucoma
InfoCenter

Glaucoma InfoCenter is an Internet resource that offers you information about Glaucoma. Glaucoma InfoCenter does not offer medical advice or referrals.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

The greatest danger of glaucoma is that people frequently experience virtually no symptoms at all. The disease slowly progresses until vision is lost. Eventually, permanent blindness can result, so it is essential to diagnose and treat glaucoma as soon as possible. There are several types of glaucoma, including open-angle, normal-tension, closed-angle, congenital and acute glaucoma.

Open-Angle Glaucoma

Some general symptoms of open-angle glaucoma (OAG), include: peripheral vision deterioration, nausea and headaches, light sensitivity, excessive blinking, blurred vision, mild eye pain and sometimes halos around bright lights. Open-angle glaucoma often occurs in both eyes at about the same time, but sometimes one eye may be more affected than the other. If open-angle glaucoma is left untreated, the person will continue to lose vision until total blindness develops.

Closed-Angle Glaucoma (CAG)

Closed-angle glaucoma is less common than open-angle glaucoma. In closed-angle glaucoma, the colored part of the eye (iris) and the lens block the movement of fluid between the chambers of the eye, causing pressure to build up and the iris to press on the drainage system of the eye. It can cause sudden blurred vision with pain and redness, which usually begins in one eye; symptoms may also include nausea and vomiting. A related form of closed-angle glaucoma called acute glaucoma progresses rapidly, and produces symptoms of severe eye pain, headache, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and halos. If not treated within hours, acute closed-angle glaucoma can result in permanent vision loss.

Congenital Glaucoma

Congenital glaucoma is often caused by a birth defect that can cause abnormal development of structures in the eye. Infants may be born with a high intraocular pressure (IOP) or develop IOP soon after birth. Congenital glaucoma is rare and often involves both eyes, with boys being affected slightly more often than girls. While the disease is thought to have a genetic component, there are also cases that are not tied to family history. Infants with congenital glaucoma usually have cloudy eyes that are sensitive to light and have excessive tearing. If the problem is not detected early and treated, the child may have severe vision loss and may go blind.

Normal-Tension Glaucoma Symptoms

Normal-tension glaucoma, also known as low-tension glaucoma, is a unique condition in which optic nerve damage and vision loss occurs despite normal intraocular pressure (IOP). Normal-tension glaucoma may result in the loss of peripheral vision. The condition is more common in women than in men and affects adults averaging 60-years-old. A common risk factor for normal-tension glaucoma is low blood pressure.