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POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

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Glaucoma is a group of eye disorders that lead to progressive damage to the optic nerve. People with glaucoma can lose nerve tissue, resulting in vision loss. The optic nerve is a bundle of about 1 million individual nerve fibres that supplies visual information from the eye to the brain.

Causes

The back of your eye continuously makes a clear fluid called aqueous humour. As this fluid is made, it fills the front part of your eye. Then, it leaves your eye through channels in your cornea and iris. If these channels are blocked or partially obstructed, the natural pressure in your eye, which is called the intraocular pressure (IOP), may increase. As your IOP increases, your optic nerve may become damaged. As damage to your nerve progresses, you may begin losing sight in your eye.

 

Types

They are six major types of glaucoma

  • Primary Open-angle glaucoma

  • Angle-closure glaucoma

  • Secondary glaucoma

  • Normal-tension or low-tension

  • Pigmentary glaucoma

  • Congenital glaucoma

 

Symptoms

  • severe eye pain

  • nausea

  • vomiting

  • redness in your eye

  • sudden vision disturbances

  • seeing coloured rings around lights

  • sudden blurred vision

 

Risk factors

The following factors can increase the risk for developing glaucoma

  • Age

  • Family history

  • Eye problems

  • Ethnicity

  • Medical History

  • Use of certain medicine.

Prevention

You may not be able to prevent glaucoma. But these self-care steps can help you detect it early, limit vision loss or slow its progress.

  • Get regular eye care.

  • Know your family's eye health history. Glaucoma tends to run in families.

  • Exercise safely. Regular, moderate exercise may help prevent glaucoma by reducing eye pressure.

  • Take prescribed eye-drops regularly.  

  • Wear eye protection. Serious eye injuries can lead to glaucoma.

 

Healthy Lifestyle to Adopt

These tips may help you control high eye pressure or promote eye health.

  • Eat a healthy diet.

  • Exercise safely.

  • Limit your caffeine. Drinking beverages with large amounts of caffeine may increase your eye pressure.

  • Sleep with your head elevated. Using a wedge pillow that keeps your head slightly raised, about 20 degrees, has been shown to reduce intraocular eye pressure while you sleep.

  • Take prescribed medicine.

 

Treatment

Glaucoma treatment is aimed at reducing pressure (intraocular pressure – IOP) in the eye. Regular use of prescription eye drops are the most common and often the first treatment. Some cases may require systemic medications, laser treatment or other surgery. While there is not yet a cure for glaucoma, early diagnosis and continuing treatment can preserve eyesight.

 

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Culled from Staywellworld blog post dated March 17, 2017.

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To learn more, click on 

https://www.staywellworld.org/single-post/2017/03/17/UNDERSTANDING-GLAUCOMA

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