Glaucoma

Presentation produced by:

Margaret Williams

Kristie Phillips

Erin Welch

Shelby Walker

Primary Open-Angled Glaucoma Glaucoma is the second leading cause of

blindness. It is a disease that causes damage to the optic nerve. This results in progressive, and irreversible vision loss. It most often occurs in people over age 40, although it can be congenital.

There are many types of glaucoma. The most common type is called Primary Open-Angled Glaucoma. It affects about three million Americans. This type of glaucoma develops when the eyes drainage canals become clogged over time.

Primary Open-Angled Glaucoma

The excess fluid in the eye causes the inner eye pressure to rise. If not diagnosed and treated early, this will cause a gradual loss of vision.

However, most people have no symptoms or early warning signs. It develops slowly over many years without being noticed. If caught early, it usually responds well to medication.

Primary Open-Angled Glaucoma

This type of glaucoma is hereditary; therefore, a person is at an increased risk if his or her parents or siblings have the disease. African-Americans, Latinos, diabetics, and individuals with cardiovascular disease are also at an increased risk. Regular eye exams are essential for early detection and treatment, especially for individuals at higher risk.

Variations of Glaucoma

Other types of glaucoma include Angle-Closure Glaucoma, Normal-Tension Glaucoma, and variations of Open-Angle or Angle-Closure Glaucoma.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Angle-Closure Glaucoma is also know as Acute

Glaucoma or Narrow Angle Glaucoma. It's much less common than Primary Open-Angled, and very different. Angle-Closure Glaucoma causes the iris to bow forward and bunch up over the eyes drainage canals. This thins the angle of the drainage system in the eye. As a result, fluid in the eye backs up and pressure rises.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Symptoms of Angle-Closure Glaucoma can include headaches, eye pain, nausea, rainbows around lights at night, and blurred vision.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma can be treated with surgery. The surgeon will remove a small portion of the iris that is covering the drainage canals. This will hopefully unblock the drainage canals so that the extra fluid can drain and the eye pressure decrease.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Even if a person has Angle-Closure Glaucoma in only one eye, the surgeon is likely to perform the operation on both eyes as a safety measure.

Childhood Glaucoma

The earliest and most common sign of Childhood Glaucoma is a cloudy cornea. A cloudy cornea is caused by the swelling of tissue from too much fluid in the eye. Symptoms can also include light sensitivity, an enlargement of the eye and cornea, an overflow of tears, and vision loss.

Sometimes secondary symptoms occur such as irritability, loss of appetite, and vomiting.

Childhood Glaucoma

Childhood Glaucoma can be treated with medications and surgery. The medications include pills and eye drops. These treatments help to either increase the exit of fluid from the eye or decrease the production of fluid inside the eye. Both result in lowering the pressure in the eye.

Childhood Glaucoma

A surgical procedure called a goniotomy involves an incision into the eye's drainage system allowing fluid to better flow out of the eye. This lowers the pressure in the eye. This procedure can cure approximately 80% of children with primary congenital Open-Angle Glaucoma. It is also the only surgical procedure unique to Childhood Glaucoma.

Childhood Glaucoma

There are other surgical procedures that can be performed including using a laser to create a small opening in the iris to relieve pressure, the surgical creation of additional drainage canals, an implanted silicone drainage tube, and in some rare cases the removal of the eye.

Childhood Glaucoma

Childhood Glaucoma is often genetically determined. However, in most cases the parents will not have the disease

Below is a link to a very informative booklet about Childhood Glaucoma from the Glaucoma Research Foundation.

http://www.glaucoma.org/uploads/grf_childhood_glaucoma.pdf

References

Jackson, A. (2007). Childhood glaucoma. San Francisco, CA: y Glaucoma Research Foundation. Retrieved July, 14, 2013 from http://www.glaucoma.org/uploads/grf_childhood_glaucoma.pdf

Glaucoma research foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved July, 10, 2013, from http://www.glaucoma.org/

Glaucoma. (n.d.). Retrieved July, 5, 2013, from http://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/eye-and-vision-problems/glossary-of-eye-and-vision-conditions/glaucoma

Facts about glaucoma. (n.d.). Retrieved July, 3, 2013, from http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts.asp

Heiting, OD, G. (2012, November). Glaucoma: Types, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Retrieved July, 15, 2013, from http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/glaucoma.htm