Los Angeles Valley College Glaucoma a Disorder of The Eye Discussion

1.describe disease

• Glaucoma is a disorder of the eye that if not treated in time could lead to vision loss and even blindness.
• The optic nerve is damaged in a person with Glaucoma due to an increase in fluid pressure in the eye.
• The optic nerve is the sensory nerve responsible for carrying visual information to the brain, damage to the optic nerve is irreversible.
• The Glaucoma Research Foundation has estimated that over 3 million Americans have glaucoma but only half of those know they have it making Glaucoma the leading cause of blindness

2. S&S

-Symptoms in the beginning may be absent (increasing the risk of missing diagnosis)

-overtime patients slowly lose vision(usually peripheral (side) vision goes first, again making it easy to miss)

-other symptoms for angle closure glaucoma may include:eye pain, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, Halos around eyes, and reddening of the eyes

-both can eventually cause blindness

3.Treatments

4.Risks

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, those who are at a greater risk for developing Glaucoma are those listed below.

• Over the age of 40
• Family members with glaucoma
• African, Hispanic, or Asian heritage
• High eye pressure
• Farsighted or nearsighted
• Eye injury
• Long-term steroid medication use
• Thin centered cornea
• Thinning of the optic nerve
• Diabetes
• Those who have migraines
• High blood pressure
• Poor blood circulation
• Health problems affecting the whole body

5.Prevention

References

American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2020, September 30). Who is at Risk for Glaucoma? Retrieved from https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/glaucoma-r…

Bright Focus. “Glaucoma: Signs & Symptoms.” BrightFocus Foundation, 13 Nov. 2018, www.brightfocus.org/glaucoma/symptoms-and-signs.

Glaucoma Research Foundation. (2020, October 6). Glaucoma Facts and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.glaucoma.org/glaucoma/glaucoma-facts-a…

NIH. “Glaucoma.” National Eye Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020, www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma.