Thursday, May 15, 2014

Primary types of Glaucoma - Overview and Symptoms of Glaucoma



A lot of people have heard of glaucoma but really don’t know what it is, how you get it and what some of the symptoms are.  Most people think it is an “Old Person” disease that has something to do with the eyes.  Though it is true that Glaucoma strikes older Americans, it can also strike children and carries symptoms that are far reaching from your eyes.
To simplify it, Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages your eyes optic nerve.  An optic nerve is located in the back of the eye.  It is also known as the cranial nerve.  The optical nerve transmits visual information from the retina to the brain.  

There are different symptoms that people get when they get glaucoma.  Symptoms can vary depending on what type of Glaucoma you have.  There are generally two primary types of Glaucoma:   Open Angle and Angle Closure.   Open Angle sneaks up without a lot of symptoms.   For Open Angle glaucoma it is the loss of side or peripheral vision.   Since the symptoms for this one are harder to recognize it is important to get checked out every year.  Just visit Orange county glaucoma specialist today to get a checkup. 

Open Angle Glaucoma is when the eye draining canals become clogged over a long period of time.   As a result of this clog, a lot of pressure builds up to the optic nerve.  It is very similar to when you have a clogged pipe in your house.   Ultimately there is a lot of pressure that is pushing against the clog, but the drainage doesn’t happen, causing a lot of pressure.   

On the other hand, the symptoms of Angle Closure are very apparent.   Some of the symptoms include the following, eye and headaches/pain, sight loss, nausea or vomiting, and hazy or blurred vision.   Similar to Open Angle, Angle Closure is also caused by blocked drainage canals in the eye.  If you are experiencing symptoms, you really need to visit a doctor immediately.

Though keeping an eye out for symptoms is key for Glaucoma, there are certain ethnic groups that have a higher propensity to get this disease. Glaucoma occurs five more times more often in African Americans than other races and strikes earlier. The doctors suggest getting checked for Glaucoma every year after the age of 35. By getting checked up more regularly you will be able to identify symptoms earlier.