Glaucoma By: Courtney, Madison, Justin

 A group of eye conditions that can cause blindness.  However, with early detection and treatment, you can often protect your eyes against serious vision loss.  More than 200,000 US cases per year Can't be cured, but treatment may help Requires a medical diagnosis Lab tests or imaging often required  With all types of glaucoma, the nerve connecting the eye to the brain is damaged, usually due to high eye pressure.  The most common type of glaucoma (open-angle glaucoma) often has no symptoms other than slow vision loss. Angle-closure glaucoma, although rare, is a medical emergency and its symptoms include eye pain with nausea and sudden visual disturbance Description

 Eye pressure is a major risk factor for optic nerve damage.  Another risk factor for optic nerve damage relates to blood pressure. Causes Open- Angle Glaucoma

 In low-tension or normal-tension glaucoma, optic nerve damage and narrowed side vision occur in people with normal eye pressure.  In angle-closure glaucoma, the fluid at the front of the eye cannot drain through the angle and leave the eye. The angle gets blocked by part of the iris. People with this type of glaucoma may have a sudden increase in eye pressure.  In congenital glaucoma, children are born with a defect in the angle of the eye that slows the normal drainage of fluid. Causes

 Neovascular glaucoma, and can be a result from poorly controlled diabetes or high blood pressure.  Pigmentary glaucoma occurs when pigment from the iris sheds off and blocks the meshwork, slowing fluid drainage.  Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma occurs when extra material is produced and shed off internal eye structures and blocks the meshwork, again slowing fluid drainage. Causes

Symptoms

Prevention

 Glaucoma treatments include eye drops, laser trabeculoplasty, conventional surgery, or a combination of any of these. Treatments may save remaining vision, they do not improve sight already lost from glaucoma.  Laser trabeculoplasty helps fluid drain out of the eye. Treatments/Cures

 9&Type=FREE&TYP=TOP&IN=_eJournals/images/JPLOGO.gif&II D=19&isPDF=NO 9&Type=FREE&TYP=TOP&IN=_eJournals/images/JPLOGO.gif&II D=19&isPDF=NO  angle-glaucoma/ angle-glaucoma/  prevention prevention    ucomacenter ucomacenter   Resources