VisionPlus Se Asia

OPTHA TALK January is Glaucoma Awareness Month – the perfect time to spread the word about the disease. So, this year, add educating your clients about glaucoma to your list! Your clients will thank you for it G laucoma often has no early warning signs. No pain. No discomfort. No blurry vision. Only advanced glaucoma will affect your vision. And most importantly some people are at higher risk than others. The article below will list out those who are more at risk. WHAT IS GLAUCOMA? 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. The optic nerve is a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the retina with the brain. This damage leads to loss of eyesight. GLAUCOMA: AN INSIDE LOOK The vision loss starts out in the edges of the visual field and slowly impacts the central vision. It takes months to years after the nerve damage has occurred before you may notice the symptoms. Once vision is lost, it cannot be recovered. There are many types of glaucoma: Open-angle glaucoma — The most common form of glaucoma, this type is caused by damage to the filter in the eye’s drainage canals. Angle-closure glaucoma — This type of glaucoma is caused by a rapid blockage of the eye’s drainage canals due to a closed or narrow angle between the iris and cornea where the filter is located. Low-tension or normal- tension glaucoma — A type of glaucoma in which damage occurs to the optic nerve without eye pressure exceeding its normal range. 24 VISION PLUS SE ASIA EDITION