Overview-
Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. The optic nerve receives nerve impulses from the retina and transmits them to the brain, where it recognizes these electrical signals as vision. Glaucoma is characterized by a particular model of progressive damage to the optic nerve, which usually begins with a subtle loss of side vision (peripheral vision). If glaucoma is not diagnosed and treated, it can progress to blindness.
Glaucoma is usually, but not always, associated with elevated eye pressure (intraocular pressure). In general, it is the high intraocular pressure, which leads to eye damage. In some cases, glaucoma can occur in the presence of normal eye pressure. This form of glaucoma seems to be caused …show more content…
This liquid is constantly produced by the ciliary body, which surrounds the lens of the eye. The aqueous humour then flows through the pupil and leaves the eye through small channels. These channels are in what is called the angle of the eye drainage. This angle is where the transparent cornea, which covers the front of the eye, it sticks to the base of the iris, which is the coloured part of the eye. The cornea covers the iris and the pupil, which are in front of the lens. The pupil is the small circle, which appears black in the iris center. The light passes through the pupil, through the lens, and to the retina at the back of the …show more content…
Some patients may have the slightly red eyes by the chronic use of eye drops.
The eyes of patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma appear red, and the pupil of the eye will be large and not reactive to light. The cornea may appear cloudy to the naked eye. The ophthalmologist is typically a reduced visual acuity, corneal edema, high intraocular pressure.
Diagnosis-
The most important risk factor for glaucoma is age, as well as any hereditary factors. After these 40 years it is therefore advisable to carry out, even in the absence of symptoms, a complete eye examination. Some tests should be repeated at regular intervals to recognize early sign of glaucoma.
Tonometry is the measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP). It is a quick and painless procedure. The patient is given an anesthetic eye drops and applied a fluorescent dye; a small plastic cone attached to the slit lamp, is then placed on the cornea.
The pressure measurement is obtained by illumination with blue light. Normal values are around 20 to 21