Save your eyes from silent destroyer of sight

Glaucoma is a silent destroyer of sight, it does not cause pain and people do not come to know that they are living with this enemy of your vision till eye-sight starts dropping suddenly. There are specially designed drops which can protect your sight, but people need to know first if they are really at risk. The only way to know this is to get eyes tested annually for intra-ocular pressure from a qualified ophthalmologist… One in eight persons in India are at risk of suffering from it.

Globally, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness (behind cataracts), according to the World Health Organization. In India, it is estimated that glaucoma affects 12 million people and by 2020, the number may go up to 16 million. Statistics say one in eight persons above the age of 40 years in India is either suffering from glaucoma or is at risk of suffering from it.
Glaucoma refers to a group of eye disorders that usually have few or no initial symptoms but eventually causes harm to the optic nerve that carries information from eye to brain.
In most cases, glaucoma is associated with higher-than-normal pressure inside the eye (ocular hypertension). If untreated or uncontrolled, glaucoma first causes peripheral vision loss and eventually can lead to blindness. Glaucoma is rightly called a ‘silent destroyer of sight’, because most types typically cause no pain and produce no symptoms until noticeable vision loss occurs. It often progresses undetected until the optic nerve is already irreversibly damaged, with varying degrees of permanent vision loss.
  The most common type of glaucoma is called ‘primary open angle glaucoma’ that affects about 70 million people worldwide, of whom about 10 per cent are believed to be blind.
  In another type, ‘acute angle-closure glaucoma’, symptoms occur suddenly, which can include blurred vision, halos around lights, intense eye pain, nausea and vomiting. An emergency visit to an ophthalmologist can save loss of vision.
  The eye pressure (intraocular pressure) is measured with a tonometer. An abnormally high IOP reading indicates problem with the amount of fluid in the eye. Either the eye is producing too much fluid, or it's not draining properly. To keep the pressure low (below 21mmHg is ideal), eye drops are prescribed by doctors. If your IOP is higher than 30 mmHg, your risk of vision loss from glaucoma is 40 times greater than someone with intraocular pressure of 15 mmHg or lower.
  Other methods of monitoring glaucoma involve the use of sophisticated imaging technology to create baseline images and measurements of the eye's optic nerve and internal structures.
Then Visual field testing is a way to determine if you are experiencing vision loss from glaucoma. The visual field test may be repeated at regular intervals to make sure you are not developing blind spots from damage to the optic nerve or to determine the extent or progression of vision loss from glaucoma.
Other types of glaucoma are pigmentary glaucoma, secondary glaucoma following an eye injury or eye infection and some are congenital.
  Glaucoma's exact cause is still unknown, but some scientists think it results from abnormalities in the blood vessels and circulation that nourish not only the rest of the body, but also the optic nerve, eyes and brain.

Reducing eye pressure is the initial treatment

Initially the treatment involves reducing the eye pressure by specially designed eye drops and medication. Because glaucoma often is painless, people may become careless about strict use of eye drops that can control eye pressure and help prevent permanent eye damage. In fact, non-compliance with a program of prescribed glaucoma medication is a major reason for blindness caused by glaucoma. Gonioscopy also may be performed to make sure the aqueous humor can drain freely from the eye. In more severe cases surgery is the only option.
  A lot of research is going on to find ways and means to reduce eye pressure. Recently a stent system has been developed to treat mild or moderate open-angle glaucoma in people who are already using medication to reduce high eye pressure.
  A new device is being developed which will be a personal tonometer, which glaucoma patients will be able to use at home. Since people who are at risk for glaucoma tend to have eye pressure that fluctuates throughout the day, it's difficult to get a good overall picture of their eye pressure situation with just one periodic reading at the eye doctor's office

Exercise can prevent it

According to a recent European study, exercise might do the trick for some people. Researchers in the U.K. found that people who engaged in moderate physical exercise approximately 15 years prior to the study had a 25 percent reduced risk of low ocular pressure that could lead to glaucoma, maybe due to cardiovascular fitness. A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of glaucoma.
  A new report documents how the eye's natural lens, retina and other eye tissues absorb antioxidants called catechins, which are found in green tea. Green tea contains antioxidants that can penetrate eye tissues, possibly protecting against glaucoma.

Too much iron and calcium supplementation increases risk

Iron and calcium supplementation above a certain level may increase your risk of developing glaucoma, says recent research. Those who took at least 800 mg per day of supplementary calcium or at least 18 mg per day of supplementary iron (both are oxidants) had a greater chance of Glaucoma than those not taking these supplements. In fact, taking both iron and calcium above these levels increased the odds of developing glaucoma even more.
  People with diabetes and/or hypertension are more likely to develop open angle glaucoma as well. The diabetics in the group had a 35 percent increased risk for it while those with hypertension alone had a 17 percent increased risk. The increased risk was 48 percent for people with both diabetes and hypertension.