Glaucoma

Signs

Glaucoma is a slow-moving disease with few symptoms. There is often no pain, no infection, no discharge and no redness. It first affects peripheral vision, which can be easy to miss because it’s not in our direct line of sight. If left untreated, the field of vision becomes progressively smaller until blindness results.

What causes glaucoma?

Glaucoma is caused by an increased pressure in the eye, called intraocular pressure, which if left untreated can damage the optic nerve and lead to permanent blindness within a few years. The doctors at Horizon Eye Care are trained to screen patients and detect the early signs.

What are the types of glaucoma?

Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form. Sometimes called wide-angle glaucoma, this form occurs when the fluid in the eye passes too slowly through the trabecular meshwork causing an increase in intraocular pressure.

Angle-closure glaucoma, also called acute or chronic angle-closure or narrow-angle glaucoma. This form occurs when fluid in the front part of the eye cannot drain from the eye causing a sudden increase in pressure. When this occurs, symptoms can include eye redness, severe pain, blurred vision and nausea. This is a medical emergency and you should contact your eye care specialist immediately for treatment.

DURYSTA^TM

DURYSTA^TMoffers patients an alternative treatment for Glaucoma. Until recently, treatment involved administering topical drops to alleviate pain and slow vision loss caused by the disease. DURYSTA^TM enables doctors to implant a device into the eye through which they can dispense medications to relieve discomfort and prevent vision loss. See this blog post for more information.