Lincoln Daily News 2026-27 Health & Wellness Magazine Pg.19 Glaucoma is a disease of the eye that damages your optic nerve. Fluid builds up in the front of your eye, increasing the pressure, and damaging the nerve. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 60. Your eye constantly makes aqueous humor. That is the clear, watery fluid that fills the front chamber of your eye. It maintains eye pressure and shape while nourishing the cornea and lens. Continuous production and drainage regulate this fluid. Blockages, reduction, or overproduction can potentially cause glaucoma. There are two major types of glaucoma. Open Angle Glaucoma is the most common type. It happens gradually and is the result of the eye not draining fluid as it should. As a result pressure builds up and damages the optic nerve. Because it is painless and advances slowly there are typically no warning signs until peripheral vision has been totally lost. It may begin with blind spots developing in your peripheral vision. Having regular eye exams can help detect any problems. Angle closure or Closed Angle Glaucoma occurs when the Iris is very close to the drainage angle of the eye. The iris essentially blocks the drainage, much like sliding a piece of paper over a drain. When the drainage angle is blocked eye pressure rises very quickly. This leads to an acute attack. Symptoms of an acute attack include: sudden blurry vision, severe eye pain, headache, nausea, and colored rings or halo developments around lights. You can also develop closed angle glaucoma slowly. This is then called chronic closed angle glaucoma. There are no symptoms, so damage is usually severe by the time an attack presents. Sometimes, there are signs of glaucoma like blind spots in vision or optic nerve damage with normal eye pressure. This is referred to as normal tension glaucoma. Who is at Risk For Glaucoma? Some people have a higher than average risk for developing glaucoma. These include people who have: - high eye pressure - are farsighted or nearsighted - have had a serious eye injury - have used steroid medications long-term - have corneas that are thin in the center - have thinning of the optic nerve - have a history of diabetes, migraines, high blood pressure, poor circulation - are over 40 - have a family history of glaucoma - are of African, Hispanic, or Asian heritage The only way to diagnose glaucoma is with a thorough and complete eye exam. A glaucoma screening often just checks the pressure and is not enough to accurately diagnose the condition. An ophthalmologist will measure your eye pressure, inspect the drainage angle of your eye, examine the optic nerve and check for damage while also taking pictures and measurements of the nerve, and measure the thickness of the cornea. Glaucoma damage is permanent and cannot be reversed. Medications and surgery are used to prevent further damage. Eye drops are used to control glaucoma. These drops are used every day to lower eye pressure. Some do this by reducing the amount of fluid the eye produces, and some do this by helping the fluid flow better through the drainage angle. All medications have side
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzExODA=