Glaucoma is defined as a slow, progressive disease that causes an increase in intraocular pressure against the optic nerve (Potter and Perry, 2015). Glaucoma can also be described as groups of disease that damage the optic nerve in the eye. The optic nerve sends information from the eye to the brain. Most of the time glaucoma is progressive, silent, and can be untreatable if the disease is too far along. Glaucoma causes loss of peripheral vision, central vision and blindness in the later stages (Williams and Hopper, 2015).
Pathophysiology and Causes Primary glaucoma is the most common type and it can be divided into two categories: acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). AACG happens when
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This causes the fluid from the aqueous humor not to drain or become blocked. Secondary glaucoma usually occurs when there is an infection, injuries, or tumors. A third form of glaucoma can result from having abnormalities at birth (Williams and Hopper, 2015).
Etiology and Risk Factors Asians, people who are nearsighted, and women older than 45 years of age are more at risk for developing AACG. People age 40 and older, diabetics, and those with a family history of glaucoma are more at risk for developing POAG. POAG also occurs 4 to 5 times more in African Americans than European Americans (Williams and Hopper, 2015).
Signs and Symptoms Symptoms of AACG include: severe pain, blurred vision, rainbow lights, photophobia, eye redness, tearing and a "steamy" cornea. POAG symptoms are usually gradual and cause no pain, although people may experience mild aching eyes, vision changes, halos around lights, and headaches. An increase in intraocular pressure can also cause nausea and vomiting (Williams and Hopper,
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Doctors prescribe miotics for this. Miotics constrict the pupil to allow the iris to move farther away from the drainage duct to allow the aqueous fluid to flow past. Examples of miotics include: Isopto and Pilocar, Other treatments help to slow the production of the aqueous fluid and those medications that help that include: carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, adrenergic agonists, and beta blockers. To reduce inflammation, steroid eye drops may also be given and glaucoma patients need lifelong eye drops given daily. Mydriatic medications are not given to patients who suffer from acute angle-closure glaucoma because they can cause blindness. Examples of mydriatics include: Benadryl, Vistaril, and atropine (Williams and Hopper, 2015). Another method of treatment is surgery. Sometimes, medications no longer work for some people so they need to undergo surgery. Surgery for glaucoma is usually helpful because it provides an opening for the aqueous fluid to flow freely instead of getting trapped in the eye. Laser Peripheral Iridotomy or surgical iridotomy can be performed on AACG patients. This is a noninvasive procedure that cuts away part of the iris to allow fluid to flow around it. Surgical treatment for PAOG includes laser trabeculoplasty. This creates a bigger opening for the drainage duct (Williams and Hopper,
The widespread involvement of Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE), flat (placoid) nature of the lesions and absence of overlying serous retinal detachment and minimal choroidal involvement lead Gass to conclude RPE was primary focus of inflammation.(1) ...
They say that the eyes are the windows into the soul. When damage to the eyes occur it is usually irreversible, meaning that if this does occur, it is definitely best to find a respected ophthalmologist to fix the problem. Meet Karen D. Todd, my aunt and opthamologist at the Florida Eye Institute in Vero Beach, Florida. Dr. Todd practices general ophthalmology with an emphasis on the latest treatments and diagnostic testing for glaucoma.
-People of certain races, such as African American, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian Americans, are more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes (Type
Saxena, Rohit, Diguijay Singh, and Praveen Vashist. “Glaucoma: An Emerging Peril.” Indian Journal of Community Medicine 38.3 (2013): 135-7: Proquest. Web. 7 Jan 2014.
Well how can you get it? Well it’s caused by damaged blood vessels in the tissue that the retina which is located at the back of the eye. When blood sugar levels are too high for extended periods of time, it can damage capillaries which are tiny blood vessels that supply blood to the retina. Over time these blood vessels begin to leak fluids and fats, causing edema. Then the vessels can close off which is called ischemia. These types of signs are non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (“Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment,”2016).
MG patients have only one-third of the normal numbers of acetylcholine receptors which causes weak and easily fatigued muscles. The muscles under voluntary control are affected. The heart muscles, which are under involuntary control, are not affected. In MG generally, the muscles that control the eye and eyelid movement are affected first, causing the eyelids to sag. Some MG patients may develop double or blurred vision. When only the eye muscles are affected, the disease is known as Ocular Myasthenia. Disease symptoms affecting the facial muscles leads to limitations of facial expressions. Victims have difficulty smiling and expressing emotions on their face.
Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness, is estimated to affect 1 of every 50 adults. Although glaucoma can occur at any age, the risk of developing the disease increases dramatically after the age of 35. Glaucoma is also more likely to develop in patients who are severely nearsighted, have a family history of the condition, diabetics and Black or African American. This disease often goes unnoticed until permanent vision loss has occurred. Visual damage from glaucoma can be prevented by early diagnosis and careful treatment. Glaucoma is related to elevated fluid pressure of the eye which is causing loss of side vision. It is a series of diseases which damage the optic nerve. Damage to the optic nerve and retina causes blind spots in the field of vision. When the entire nerve is destroyed, blindness will occur. Glaucoma is usually caused by an increase in the fluid pressure in the eye. The front part of the eye contains a clear, nourishing fluid called aqueous which constantly circulates through the eye. Normally, this fluid leaves the eye through a drainage system and returns to the blood stream. Glaucoma occurs from an overproduction of fluid or when the drainage system becomes blocked, causing fluid pressure to increase. The high pressure causes damage to the optic nerve, resulting in permanent vision loss. The exact reason the fluid system in the eye stops functioning properly is not completely understood
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50. Every ten years after the age of 50 the prevalence of this disease increases exponentially. Many different factors contribute to the development of AMD including genetic, environment, and metabolic functions. Aside from smoking, abnormal blood pressure, and an unhealthy diet low in fruits and vegetables, many more studies are concluding that similar inflammatory and oxidative processes seen in other age related diseases are also playing a key role in the development of AMD. This disease affects the central areas of the retina and choroid. In return central vision is impaired while peripheral vision is usually not lost. AMD is seen in two different forms, the earlier nonneovascular (dry) type and the more advanced neovascular (wet) type. Each form has its own specific pathology and unique characteristics that set them apart. Fatty, protein deposits called drusens may be the key risk factor in understanding dry AMD pathology, progression, and treatment. Once the more advanced wet AMD is diagnosed, pathology and treatment are targeted around the formation and destruction of abnormal blood vessels, characteristic of the wet AMD eye. The increasing prevalence of AMD has influenced more investigation into what factors can be modulated to prevent the onset or to stop the progression of AMD. Early diagnosis is very important because this is when an eye doctor can spot the early signs of the disease through ultrasound or angiography. This text will discuss the pathology of drusens and the role of inflammation and oxidation in the aged eye. By better understanding these processes more effective treatment approaches and preventive...
Stargardt disease, or also known as fundus flavimaculatus, is an inherited form of macular degeneration that causes vision loss in an accelerated way, usually to the point of legal blindness. Macular degeneration is caused by “the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, the inside back layer of the eye that records the images one sees and sends them via the optic nerve from the eye to the brain. The retinas central portion, known as the macula, is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye, and it controls our ability to read, drive a car, recognize faces or colors, and see objects in fine detail.” (http://www.macular.org/what-macular-degeneration) One can see signs of Stargardt disease starting with the ages between six and twelve years old. The disease plateaus shortly after rapid reduction in visual acuity.
Retinitis pigmentosa is caused by damage to the retina of the eye. The retina is the light sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. The retina focuses images in the brain and then sends them via electrical signals up to the brain. The retina is a very important part of the eye to help a person see. What is affected in the retina from this disorder are the rods in the eye. The rods allow a person to see in the dark. Retinitis pigmentosa slowly causes the rods in the eye to deteriorate over time. Retinitis pigmentosa also can cause the cones in people’s eyes to deteriorate. If a person’s cones deteriorate first, then the person first develops blindness in the center of their eye and they lose some of their color vision. This form of retinitis pigmentosa is much rarer than the form that deteriorates the rods in the eyes.
Some diseases that affect the retina and posterior segment of the eye include diabetic retinopathy, retinal cancer (melanoma), glaucoma, age macular degeneration, and uveitis. Diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma fall under diabetic eye disease. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease. It is the damage to the blood vessels in the retina. Gl...
Treatment methods include enucleation, external beam radiation, and chemo reduction. Enucleation, the most common process, is simply the removal of the eye.
There are several types of amblyopia. Researchers must be aware of the various types of amblyopia because the effects for each are not always consistent. Strabismic amblyopia is caused when the two eyes are out of alignment due to weak musculature. Anisometropic amblyopia is a result of a large difference in refractive power of an individual's eyes. Another form of amblyopia results when visual information does not reach the retina. This is called stimulus deprivation amblyopia. Meridional amblyopia is a result of the diffused images caused by astigmatism. Researchers often discover that there are differences between groups of amblyopes based on type. For example, Levi and his colleagues (1994) discovered differences in vernier acuity between anisomet...
This protects the eye from becoming dry.The Cornea, a part of the sclera, is the transparent window of the eye through which light passes. The focusing of the light begins in the cornea.Behind the Cornea is a watery fluid called the aqueous humor. This fluid fills a curved, crescent shaped space, thick in the center and thinner toward the edges. The cornea and the aqueous humor together make an outer lens that refracts, or bends, light and dire...