Glaucoma – threatened blindness

Glaucoma is still a dreaded cause of blindness in US. Diagnosed by physicians as glaucoma can be completely painless recognized and treated by an examination by an ophthalmologist. But even accidental damage to the optic nerve is extremely dangerous.

Generally, Glaucoma is a group of various eye diseases referred associated with the intraocular pressure and the destruction of the optic nerve. The most common form of glaucoma, is the open-angle glaucoma, making themselves for a long time no noticeable, when symptoms don’t show up. Only when the optic nerve is already severely damaged, it comes to visual field or a reduced contrast sensitivity. Trigger for the destruction of the optic nerve is usually a over the years increased intraocular pressure. This pressure is built up by the aqueous humor in the eye, which was formed in the posterior chamber , and which flows through the chamber angle in the antechamber. Normally, education and outflow are in equilibrium. If the chamber angle blocked by debris or other causes, this balance is disturbed and the constant increased pressure in the eye leads to the destruction of the optic nerve.

Screening can save eyesight.

Since glaucoma runs completely asymptomatic for years. It means that it can only be detected by a screening at the ophthalmologist. Therefore, the intraocular pressure and optic nerve should be regularly checked every two years by an ophthalmologist from the age of 40. In case of certain risk factors, such as hereditary predisposition for diabetes mellitus should be started even earlier with the control. Because only detected in time, glaucoma can be treated and thus the optic nerve damage could be stopped. For this purpose, first come different medications in the form of eye drops. Only when the intraocular pressure thus cannot be reduced sufficiently, further treatment by laser or surgical opening of the chamber angle is necessary. Basically, only the progression of the disease can be stopped by the treatment, because once polluted the optic nerve damage are not reversible.