Glaucoma is a disease of the eye that causes damage to your optic nerve. It is caused by a buildup of pressure inside your eye that ends up damaging your optic nerve. The most common glaucoma happens when the pressure is too high for too long. Glaucoma is hereditary, but one would not usually get it until later in life. If glaucoma worsens, it may cause total blindness within a few years. However, glaucoma can be treated if detected early through regular eye exams conducted by your eye doctor. The two types of glaucoma are open-angle glaucoma and closed-angle glaucoma.

Open-angle Glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma happens in cases where the eye does not drain the fluid as it should. This results in the buildup of pressure that ends up damaging the optic nerve. This type is often painless and may not lead to any change in your vision at first, and therefore, you need to go for regular eye exams to check if you have open-angle glaucoma. Here are some signs of open-angle glaucoma:

Signs

The reason why open-angle glaucoma is very common in many people is that people don’t tend to experience any signs for quite some time. In fact, many term it as a sneak thief of sight. However, over time you will get to realize that you might miss a stair when you walk or notice some letters missing when you are reading a word.

Closed-angle Glaucoma

Closed-angle glaucoma happens when the iris is very close to the drainage angle in the eye and ends up blocking it. This blockage causes eye pressure to rise very quickly, and if you are experiencing this, it is best to call your eye doctor immediately or you might end up losing your vision. Here are some signs of closed-angle glaucoma:

Signs

Closed-angle glaucoma has some quite severe symptoms. This is why it is advisable to go and seek help from your eye doctor if you have noticed you have sudden blurred vision. Other symptoms include severe eye pain, redness in the eye, and a feeling of vomiting.

Treating Glaucoma

Unfortunately, the effects of glaucoma cannot be reversed, but regular checkups can help slow vision loss especially if it is noticed in its early stages. During the early stages, your eye doctor can lower your eye pressure by prescribing oral medications or eye-drops. It is important to be candid with your doctor as you come up with a treatment plan because they are alternative treatments. If for example, you have difficulty in following a regime, then you can talk to your doctor to prescribe oral medications instead. For closed-angle glaucoma, your doctor will advise you to go for laser treatment where a hole is made in the iris to allow the fluid to drain.

If you have any of the signs listed above, you need to visit your eye doctor. Your eye doctor will conduct an eye exam and check if you have any of the two types of glaucoma. Although the effects cannot be reversed, it is possible to avoid being blind through laser treatment and regular checkups.

If you are looking for a solution or have some questions about glaucoma, please visit our Sacramento Eye Consultants offices in Sacramento and Lincoln, California, or call us at (916)-915-0300 to book an appointment today.