Sunday 11 May 2014

Facts And Information On Glaucoma San Antonio

By Eloise Hewitt


The condition known as glaucoma is not just a single eye disease but a combination of conditions that lead to damage of the optic nerve. The damage of this nerve leads to loss of vision. Whenever there is an increase in intraocular pressure, the eyes are likely to get damaged. When considering glaucoma San Antonio residents ought to remember that it is among the leading causes of blindness. With this condition, vision is damaged so slowly that one may fail to realize. Most people realize only during the advanced stages.

Primary-angle glaucoma is the most common type of this condition. The signs and symptoms are not easily noticeable. Thus other than the fact that the symptoms increase gradually, one may fail to realize they are suffering from it. When there is timely diagnosis and treatment, any damages associated with it are minimized. Regular examination of eyes is recommended, during which the intraocular pressure needs to be measured.

The most common types of this condition, primary open-angle and angle-closure, have very varying symptoms. The former has two main types; tunnel vision during advanced stages and gradual loss of peripheral vision in both eyes. The latter has symptoms such as eye pain, blurred vision, vomiting, nausea and sudden onset of visual disturbance. The conditions are referred to as primary when the cause is unknown and secondary when its cause can be traced to known causes.

Patients are advised not to wait until the symptoms are in the advanced stages. The best way to detect this condition early is to go for regular check-ups. Some of the indicators to look out for are strong headaches, nausea, eye pain and halos around the eyes. Any such symptoms should be shared with the doctor.

The increased pressure in the eyes is as a result of build-up of aqueous humor which is the fluid that flows into and out of eyes. Normally, the fluid leaves eyes via a drainage system. This system is at the angle where the iris and cornea meet. Whenever the drainage system fails to effectively work, the fluid cannot filter out of eyes normally. This is the cause of build-up of pressure in the eyes.

Among the many causes of glaucoma, there are risk factors that enhance possibility of suffering from it. One such factor is age, with people over 40 the most affected when it comes to angle-closure glaucoma. For the African Americans, there is a higher risk of developing the condition, plus it takes place in younger people. Mexican-Americans over 60 years are at increased risk.

People that come from families that have history of glaucoma are more at risk. Further, there is a genetic link to it, which means some individuals are more susceptible than others. Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are among the medical conditions which increase risk of infection.

The treatment is mainly used to reduce pressure of the eyes. The pressure of the eyes is lowered, the drainage system improved or the quantity of fluid reduced. The condition itself cannot be cured. It is the damages that are minimized and vision loss prevented.




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