The vision thief - glaucoma, symptoms and prevention

In the world, approximately 66 million people suffer from some form of glaucoma, with 5 million of these people completely blinded. In third place among the causes of incurable blindness, is glaucoma, the symptoms of which everyone should know. Because it is noticed, even among the inhabitants of developed countries, in which governments conduct educational activities aimed at combating this insidious disease, every second glaucoma sufferer does not even know about it.

What is glaucoma?

Remember how our eyes are arranged. The eye has a certain strength because its soft tissues, like an inflated balloon, are under some pressure. If intraocular pressure is increased , fluid outflow is difficult or even blocked, passing through the trabecular network, which supplies moisture to the living tissues of the eye, glaucoma of open-angle form develops, accounting for almost 90% of all cases of this disease.

Increased IOP (intraocular pressure) in itself does not indicate glaucoma and can fluctuate depending on the amount of fluid drunk, palpitation, the position of the body and even on the individual characteristics of the body. Nevertheless, because of VCG, glaucoma can develop, the symptoms of which are mainly associated with a decrease in the peripheral vision area.

Another form of glaucoma is closed-angle glaucoma or acute - this is a rare form of this disease, which is characterized by a sharp increase in IOP and causes severe pain in the eye. It is closed angle glaucoma, the symptoms of which are expressed by vomiting, pain and blurring of the eye, can cause a complete loss of vision if the patient is not provided with medical care within a few hours.

The third form of glaucoma - secondary glaucoma, often develops due to other diseases: eye trauma , cataracts, tumors.

A rare congenital glaucoma, symptoms of it are found in newborns soon after birth. At the same time there is photophobia or an increase in the entire eyeball of the child.

Alarming signs of glaucoma

Ophthalmologists call glaucoma "the insidious thief of vision." Why? Even if you do not feel any signs, do not complain about your eyes, you may already have developed a dangerous form of glaucoma.

The ability of our brain to "dorisovyvat" the missing part of the image is the factor that prevents the early diagnosis of the disease. As a rule, glaucoma develops slowly and imperceptibly affects the optic nerve.

Predisposition to this disease

The likelihood of getting glaucoma is increased if the following factors are present:

• Heredity

• Nearsightedness

• African origin

• Diabetes

• Injury of the eye

• Continuous use of cortisone or other steroids (ointments or aerosols in asthma)

• Age after age 45

Prevention of glaucoma

If you find yourself in the above factors, then preventive measures are mandatory for you. Take an annual examination from the oculist. Even if you are not at risk, check your eyesight at least once every 4 years.

The doctor uses a device that will detect damage to the optic nerve tissues, changes in the vessels on the back of the eye. Probably, the examination of the field of vision will be carried out. In this case, the patient is invited to look at the concave hemisphere, which is illuminated by white light. A white bright dot appears inside the sphere. Seeing the point, the patient presses the special button. If he does not see this point, and she should be in his field of vision, then this may indicate that the person has glaucoma, the symptoms of which are expressed in limiting peripheral vision.

Treatment consists in the use of special drops and in the surgical intervention.