Glaucoma: Types, symptoms, diagnoses and effective treatments to help prevent blindness
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a neuropathy of the eyes. The visual field is altered due to fluid accumulation in the front part of the eye. This increases pressure and affects the optic nerve.
One of the leading causes of vision loss in the world, glaucoma, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is the main cause of blindness in people over 60 years of age.
What are the different types of glaucoma?
These include:
- Open angle glaucoma: the most common form of the disease. It occurs gradually due to poor fluid drainage in the eye. Initially, it does not cause changes in vision or pain.
- Closed angle glaucoma: less common, but more severe. It is also caused by poor fluid drainage, but because the iris is quite close to the drainage angle, a blockage forms.
- Congenital glaucoma: present from birth, affecting 1 in every 10,000 babies born in the United States.
- Secondary glaucoma: caused by medication or pre-existing conditions.
What are the main symptoms of glaucoma?
Open angle glaucoma:
In its early stages, this type generally has no symptoms. Over time, peripheral vision is reduced, generating a narrowing tunnel vision sensation.
Open angle glaucoma:
- Intense pain in the eye or forehead
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Eye redness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rainbow vision or light halos
This type of glaucoma is a medical emergency and requires immediate attention to avoid vision loss.
How is glaucoma diagnosed?
Early diagnosis is crucial to preventing significant damage to the retina. People over the age of 40 should have an annual eye check-up.
The examination will include:
- Tonometry: measures intraocular pressure.
- Review of the iridocorneal angle: evaluates the drainage of ocular fluid; if it is narrow, there may be a higher risk of developing glaucoma.
- Visual field: checks peripheral vision if the ophthalmologist considers it necessary.
What causes glaucoma?
Although there is no definitive cause, there are risk factors that increase its likelihood:
- Having a family history
- Having hypertension or diabetes mellitus
- Having myopia
- Being of African descent
- Being over 40 years old
What are the treatments for glaucoma?
Glaucoma has no cure and is usually a silent disease. In fact, it’s estimated that more than 2 million people in the United States suffer from this disease, but only half realize they are affected.
Regular medical check-ups are key to early detection and proper treatment to prevent or mitigate vision loss.
Treatments include:
- Oral medications: especially useful in acute cases
- Ophthalmic drops: reduces intraocular pressure and protects the optic nerve
- Laser or surgery: facilitates drainage of intraocular fluid
- To learn more about glaucoma treatments, watch our VUMI® Health Talks with the Clínica de Especialidades Oftalmológicas (CEO) in Medellín, Colombia.
How can I receive care for glaucoma?
Glaucoma often can be controlled with early diagnosis and proper treatment.
Being protected by a VUMI® plan allows you to access medical check-ups and consult with specialists who can treat the disease.
Talk to your insurance agent today to learn more about how to access glaucoma treatments and specialists or about the benefits of our plans.
Sources:
- NIH: Instituto Nacional del Ojo
- https://es.familydoctor.org/condicion/Glaucoma-es/?adfree=true
- https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/001620.htm
- Screening for primary open-angle Glaucoma. US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2022;327(20):1992-1997. PMID: 35608574 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35608574/
- https://www.aao.org/salud-ocular/enfermedades/que-es-la-glaucoma#:~:text=Glaucoma%20de%20%C3%A1ngulo%20cerrado%20(tambi%C3%A9n,alrededor%20de%20las%20luces
- https://glaucoma.org/es/articles/datos-y-estadisticas-sobre-el-glaucoma
