Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve due to increased pressure on the eyeball. This increase in eye pressure occurs due to disturbances in the eye's fluid flow system. A person suffering from this condition may experience symptoms such as visual disturbances, eye pain, and headaches.
Basically, the eye has an eye fluid flow system (aqueous humor) into the blood vessels. Aqueous humor itself is a natural fluid that functions to maintain the shape of the eye, supply nutrients, and clean dirt in the eye. When there is a disturbance in the fluid flow system, this will cause fluid accumulation aqueous humor and increased pressure in the eyeball (ocular hypertension). The increased pressure on the eyeball can then damage the optic nerve.
Based on the disturbances that occur in the eye's fluid flow system, glaucoma is divided into several types, namely:
- Glaucomaopen corner.This type of glaucoma is the most common condition. In open-angle glaucoma, the fluid drains aqueous humor only partially hindered because trabecular meshwork having trouble. Trabecular meshwork is an organ in the form of a net that is located in the fluid drainage channel aqueous humor.
- Glaucomacornerclosed.In this type, the fluid drain aqueous humor completely closed. Acute or sudden angle-closure glaucoma is an emergency and requires immediate treatment.
Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the world after cataracts. Data compiled by WHO in 2010 showed that 39 million people in the world suffer from blindness and 3.2 million of them are caused by glaucoma. Glaucoma can occur in adults as well as in infants. Glaucoma that occurs in newborns is called congenital glaucoma.
Although glaucoma is not a preventable condition, its symptoms will be easier to relieve if the condition is detected and treated early.
Glaucoma Symptoms
Symptoms that appear will be different for each glaucoma patient. However, glaucoma sufferers generally experience visual disturbances. Some of the visual disturbances that appear can include:
- Blurred vision
- There is a circle like a rainbow when you look at the bright light
- Has a blind angle (blind spot)
- Abnormalities in the pupil of the eye, such as the size of the pupil of the eye is not the same.
Causes of Glaucoma
It is suspected that gene abnormalities are a major factor in the occurrence of glaucoma. Plus there are several secondary factors that cause glaucoma, such as:
- Injury due to chemical exposure
- Infection
- Inflammation
- Blockage of blood vessels
Glaucoma Treatment
Glaucoma can be treated by an ophthalmologist or glaucoma specialist ophthalmologist. Glaucoma treatment is done to prevent total blindness and reduce symptoms. The treatment can be different, because it is adjusted to the patient's condition. Glaucoma treatment methods include:
- Administration of drops
- Laser therapy
- Operation