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All you need to know about glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye defect. Many people have called it a thief of sight because glaucoma can lead to total blindness. Worldwide an estimated 66 million people are affected by a group of eye disease collectively called glaucoma.
Glaucoma results, as what we called peripheral vision gradually or slowly disappears. Peripheral vision is the ability to be aware of something approaching by your side without turning to look at it. It also helps to side step objects on the ground and avoids bumping into walls as you walk.
But this unique ability, glaucoma makes to disappear. Glaucoma is the third largest cause of permanent blindness. Inside the eye, a pump called the ciliary’s body moves the aqueous humor from the blood vessel to the eye, which circulate inside the eye and nourishes the eye and return though the trabecular or orbicular meshwork.
There are many types of glaucoma; open-angle glaucoma which results from the blockage of the trabecular or orbicular meshwork. Another type is acute or angle-closure glaucoma, which results due to a sudden increase in pressure in the eye. We also have secondary glaucoma, which results from eye tumor, cataracts, or eye injuries. Congenital glaucoma also inflicts people. But this is present from birth. Glaucoma steals sight when the blind spot on the retina is devoid of light sensing cells.
Some instruments use in conducting a test for patients of glaucoma are; Tonometer, visual-field testing where the patient of glaucoma looks into a bowl of white light and others. Those at risk of glaucoma are those from Africa descent but not limited to them. Also at risk are those with a family member who suffer from glaucoma, those suffering from diabetes, those who are myopic, those who have use cortisone or steroid for a long term bases and those who are above 45 years.
Glaucoma can be treated using some special eye drops daily. These may inhibit the production of aqueous fluid in the eyeball. Glaucoma can also be treated using laser to drill holes in the front of the eye near where the natural drain holes are.