Glaucoma

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a condition of the eye characterized by an increase in Intraocular Pressure causing pathological changes in the Optic disc and causing typical visual field defects.

What are the different types of Glaucoma?

Different types of glaucoma are:
Chronic open angle glaucoma. This damages the vision gradually & painlessly.
Angle closure Glaucoma. Sudden blockage of drainage channels leads to sharp rise in IOP resulting in blurred vision, severe eye pain, nausea and vomiting, headache, rainbow haloes, around lights, red eyes.

What causes Glaucoma?

The Aqueous Humor is the fluid circulating within some parts of the eye. Normal persons have equal production and drainage of this fluid. When the drainage is less due to some reason it builds up pressure in the eye which can damage the optic nerve leading to loss of vision, This is called glaucoma.

What is the treatment of Glaucoma?

The aim of treatment is to reduce the IOP. This will slow the further damage to the eye. However the damage which has already occurred due to Glaucoma cannot be reversed. Treatment of Glaucoma may be with the help of medication such as tablets or eye drops or by surgery. This will be decided by the Doctor after carefully evaluating each case individually.