Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve head caused by the increase of fluid pressure in the eye. It is a disease that gradually steals sight without warning and often without any symptoms. Glaucoma is a progressive disease, how ever by its early detection and treatment one can slow the progression of disease and often protect the eyes against serious vision loss.
How does it happen?
The fluid is constantly secreted into the eye is constantly drained out of the eye. This maintains a constant intraocular pressure. When this circulation gets blocked fluid starts accumulating in the eye. As the fluid builds up it begins to exert pressure inside the eye and damages structures vital for vision like optic nerve head as shown.
Incidence and Prevalence of Disease
The Glaucoma is the third leading cause of blindness worldwide.Its estimated that up to 70 million people have Glaucoma and that 6.7 million experience bilateral from this disease.
Who are the people at risk for glaucoma?
The Glaucoma is the third leading cause of blindness worldwide.Its estimated that up to 70 million people have Glaucoma and that 6.7 million experience bilateral from this disease.
People over 40 years of age.
Black races commoner that whites.
Family history of Glaucoma especially in first degree relatives.
Myopes and hypermetropes people.
Diabetics and hypertensives.
People with history of steroid use or history of eye injury.
