Anyone may develop glaucoma, but the incidence increases with age. About 1 in 10,000 babies are born with glaucoma, by age 40 about 1 in 200 have glaucoma, rising to 1 in 8 at age 80.
While there is no cure for glaucoma, people experiencing the condition can enjoy a normal, active, and fulfilling life by keeping the condition under control to slow or prevent vision loss.
Anyone can get glaucoma, but certain groups are at higher risk. These groups include African Americans over age 40, all people over age 60, people with a family history of glaucoma, and people who have diabetes. African Americans are 6 to 8 times more likely to get glaucoma than whites.
Glaucoma can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. It is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60.
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness
And unfortunately approximately 10% of people with glaucoma who receive proper treatment still experience loss of vision.
Absolutely. The aim of treating patients with glaucoma is for them to be able to maintain their quality of life and live as normally as possible. Patients with glaucoma have a normal life expectancy and, with treatment, can carry out activities as they did before diagnosis.
Glaucoma is a slowly progressing problem. On an average, untreated Glaucoma takes around 10-15 years to advance from early damage to total blindness. With an IOP (Intraocular Pressure) of 21-25 mmHg it takes 15 yrs to progress, an IOP of 25-30 mmHg around seven years and pressure more than 30 mmHg takes three years.
Glaucoma is a chronic, progressive eye disease caused by damage to the optic nerve, which leads to visual field loss. One of the major risk factors is eye pressure. An abnormality in the eye's drainage system can cause fluid to build up, leading to excessive pressure that causes damage to the optic nerve.
By the time you notice vision loss from glaucoma, it's too late. The lost vision cannot be restored, and it's very likely you may experience additional vision loss, even after glaucoma treatment begins.
High trans fats have been proven to cause damage to the optic nerve. Time to cut out fried foods, baked goods and any product with an ingredient list that includes hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Saturated foods that include red meat, beef, lard, shortening and oils can also worsen glaucoma.
Glaucoma is indeed a potentially blinding disease. Worldwide, it is the second most common cause for irreversible blindness. However, with early diagnosis and modern treatment, blindness is very uncommon.
If your eyes become tired with prolonged concentration, you can rest them periodically - but please don't worry that you have done them any harm. Similarly, longer distance viewing such as driving, watching TV or going to the movies does not harm your eyes.
Although these glasses and contacts are not available now, it is important that patients with glaucoma have proper eyewear. Use of glasses can provide protection for patients who may only have one functional eye. In these cases, polycarbonate lenses can offer more protection.
stages: stage 0 (normal visual field), stage I (early), stage II (moderate), stage III (advanced), stage IV (severe), and stage V (end-stage). Staging criteria are based mainly on the HVF, with MD as the primary measure.
Whether you develop glaucoma depends on the amount of pressure your optic nerve can handle — and this amount is different for each person. For most people, eye pressure above 21 is higher than normal. Getting regular dilated eye exams can help your eye doctor figure out what level of eye pressure is normal for you.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for glaucoma and there is no way to correct the vision loss suffered from the disease. But the good news is that with regular eye exams, early detection, and treatment, you can help preserve your sight!
Lowering eye pressure can slow down or stop glaucoma progression. Many patients fail to take their glaucoma medications as prescribed. It's vital that you take the drops exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If you don't, they could do you more harm than good.
Drinking a quart of water in less than five minutes has been shown to increase intraocular pressure; instead, advise your patients to drink small amounts of water often to stay hydrated.
The Blue Mountains Eye Study found an age‐standardised all case mortality of 24.3% in persons with glaucoma and 23.8% in those without glaucoma nine years after initial evaluation. In our study, 29.8% of our patients with glaucoma died within 10 years of diagnosis; most as a consequence of vascular disease.
It is important to understand that glaucoma surgery generally does not improve or restore vision that has already been lost. The surgery prevents future vision loss from glaucoma. Blurry vision in the operated eye is common during the immediate recovery period. Your vision will improve over the weeks that follow.
“Although the study closely checked for possible glaucoma progression, many of the patients remained stable over time, even those in the control group,” Dr. Heijl said. “On the other hand, despite the clear effect of treatment, glaucoma progressed in as many as 30 percent of treated patients after four years.”