What is Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a common disease that affects the eye and damages the eye optic nerve, which can gradually lead to vision loss. The optic nerve damage is caused by high fluid pressure inside the eye.

In normal situation, the eye is able to maintain its normal pressure (also called intraocular pressure) by secreting a fluid, known as the aqueous humor, out of the eye. This is done via a drainage system called the trabecular meshwork, which is located near the cornea.

However, in a person with glaucoma, the eye’s trabecular meshwork is blocked. Accordingly, the liquid accumulates inside the eye leading to an increase in intraocular pressure.

The most common types of glaucoma are open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma. Open-angle glaucoma is more common than angle-closure glaucoma.

More than 60 million people all over the world are diagnosed with glaucoma, leading to 8.4 million cases of irreversible blindness worldwide.

Over 3 million Americans live with glaucoma. Globally, 76 million people are expected to be diagnosed with glaucoma in 2020.

Glaucoma Causes

There are several causes for glaucoma. These would include:

1.  ​​The build-up of fluid: the main cause of glaucoma is fluid buildup inside the eye. This accumulated fluid can’t flow outside the eye, leading to an increase in intraocular pressure inside the eye which damages the optic nerve. When the optic nerve is damaged, blind spots appear in one’s vision.​​​​​ 

 2.  Eye injury: also known as traumatic glaucoma, develops when the pressure in the eye suddenly rises above 21 mm Hg, which is normal eye pressure.  Glaucoma can also occur when the lens or iris is injured.

3.  Diabetes: the most common eye condition caused by diabetes is known as diabetic retinopathy. It occurs when levels of blood glucose in the eye increase, blocking the blood vessels that supply nutrients to the retina. The blockage damages the retina and if left untreated, diabetic retinopathy may lead to blindness.

Glaucoma Symptoms

1- Symptoms of Open-angle Glaucoma

People who have open-angle glaucoma don’t show any symptoms at first. They usually appear when a person’s case becomes complicated. The most common symptoms of open-angle glaucoma are:

- Loss of side vision in both eyes

- The appearance of blind spots

- Difficulty adapting to changes in light brightness

- Difficulty seeing obstacles, which increase a person’s risk of falling

2- Symptoms of Angle-closure Glaucoma

People with angle-closure glaucoma should be treated quickly or risk suffering from blindness. The most common symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma are:

- Severe eye pain

- Red eyes

- Vomiting and nausea

- Blurry vision

- The appearance of halos around lights

- Intense headaches

Glaucoma Diagnosis

To diagnose glaucoma, an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) reviews the patient’s medical history and conducts a comprehensive eye examination.

The doctor first uses eyedrops to widen the person’s pupils and examine the patient’s eyes. The doctor then checks the optic nerve for signs of nerve damage. The doctor can also perform other several tests, including:

- Examining intraocular pressure

- Checking for areas of vision loss

- Measuring the thickness of the cornea

- Checking the drainage angle

Natural Treatments for Glaucoma

Click on natural treatments for glaucoma to find a detailed list of all the natural solutions to treat glaucoma, including various natural therapies, diet programs, alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, herbal medicine, and home remedies.

These natural solutions are suggested to treat glaucoma and stop its development by focusing on lowering eye pressure and reducing its symptoms. Some of these natural treatments include:

- Diet: following healthy diets that consist of fruits and vegetables can decrease the risk and symptoms of glaucoma. Vegetables contain nitrates that are converted into nitric oxide, which helps treat the symptoms of glaucoma. Fruits such as cranberries contain antioxidants that help prevent damage to the optic nerve.

- Herbs and plants: some herbs and plants help improve fluid outflow from the eyes or lower eye pressure. Baicalein is a natural product found in some herbs which decreases eye pressure by improving the rate of fluid drainage in the eye. Cannabis is another plant that may help reduce eye pressure.

Medical Treatment for Glaucoma

Glaucoma can’t be reversed because once the optic nerve is damaged, it can’t be restored. However, medicine can stop or slow the progression of glaucoma.

Doctors must act quickly when treating glaucoma to avoid damage to the optic nerve. There are a number of possible treatments that decrease the pressure inside the eye which might help stop or even slow down glaucoma’s progression and prevent loss of vision.

Some of the possible treatments for glaucoma are:

1- Eye drops: eye drops decrease the high pressure inside the eyes. Patients can use them once a day. They may need to use eye drops more frequently depending on the severity of their case.

2- Laser treatment surgeries: laser surgeries drain fluid outside the eye to lower the pressure inside it. There are two types of laser treatment:

  3- Trabeculoplasty: treats people with open-angle glaucoma. The doctor uses a laser to improve the flow of the fluid outside the eye, thus lowering eye pressure.

  4- Iridotomy: treats people with angle-closure glaucoma. The doctor uses a laser to create a small hole in the iris. This hole helps expose the blocked trabecular meshwork, which is the main structure that drains fluid out of the eye. Thus, the procedure helps release eye pressure by allowing the fluid to drain from the eye.

Glaucoma Prevention

Visit Glaucoma Prevention Center to check all the information on how to prevent glaucoma, including the different recommendations to follow, lifestyle changes to make, and things to avoid.

These include among many others:

- Wearing sunglasses

- Avoiding steroids

- Exercise regularly

You can also find a detailed explanation why each one of these recommendations can help manage glaucoma and reduce its symptoms, and how it should be done.