What Is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve. While most often associated with increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma can present for a variety of reasons. If you need to visit an optometrist and are searching for an "eye doctor near me," visit us here at Barry P August OD PC in Bloomfield Hills, MI.
Causes & Symptoms of Glaucoma
Glaucoma is most often caused by a blockage in the drainage angles of the eyes. In healthy eyes, the fluid inside the eyes is able to drain through channels near the iris. If those channels are blocked, liquid builds up within the eyes as a result. This damages the optic nerve.
While doctors are unsure what actually causes the blockage to happen, it can be genetic and be passed from parents to their children. Glaucoma can also be caused by chemical irritation or blunt injury to your eye. Eye infections that are severe, as well as blocked blood vessels within the eye, can also cause glaucoma. Glaucoma may be worse in one eye than in the other, but it tends to affect both eyes at once.
Glaucoma symptoms may consist of:
- Throbbing eye pain
- Foggy or blurry vision
- Headaches
- Redness of the eye
- Dilated pupils
- Nausea and vomiting
Other symptoms may include sensitivity to light and tearing of the eyes.
What Are Some Risks Associated with Glaucoma?
Some risk factors that are associated with glaucoma include:
- Being over the age of 40
- Having poor vision
- Having diabetes
- Family history of glaucoma
- Taking certain steroid meds
- Injury to eye
- Thinner than normal corneas
- High blood pressure, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, or heart disease
- High eye pressure
- Being farsighted or nearsighted
Treatment
If you have glaucoma, it is worth noting that any damage done to your eye cannot be reversed. However, if you would like to help slow or prevent any vision loss, it may be beneficial to seek treatment and have checkups regularly. This is especially true for those who have the disease and are in the early stages.
An optometrist will treat your glaucoma by lowering the pressure in your eye. Treatment options may consist of oral meds, eye drops, laser treatment, or even surgery. Sometimes, patients will need a combination of these treatments to achieve a successful outcome. Normally, most eye doctors start with eye drops that are prescribed to treat glaucoma. These drops help by decreasing the pressure within the eye. They can also decrease the amount of fluid that your eyes make.
Appointments
It's not always easy to find the perfect "eye doctor near me." That is why we welcome you here at Barry P August OD PC in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Give us a call to schedule an appointment.
