Different Types of Glaucoma, Their Symptoms & Treatment

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma affects the optic nerve, which carries visual information from the retina to the brain. It can affect any age group, but it’s most common in seniors over 60.

Glaucoma occurs when there’s too much pressure on your eyes (called intraocular pressure) because of increased fluid retention in the front part of your eye – the cornea. This causes damage to the light-processing cells in your retina, which results in distortion and loss of focus; sometimes, this happens suddenly!

Most people with glaucoma don’t have any symptoms in the early stages of the disease. But, as it advances, you may have trouble seeing at night, halos around lights, blurry vision, severe eye pain, or sudden onset of visual field loss. Visit an eye clinic in Monterey, CA, if you notice these symptoms for proper treatment.

What are the Types of Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is classified into several types and including:

• Open-angle glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma is caused by increased pressure in the eye. The optic nerve is damaged by this pressure and can become inflamed, leading to vision loss. This condition may be referred to as chronic open-angle glaucoma, or COG.

COG can cause serious vision problems, but there are ways to treat it that can improve your overall quality of life—and restore some sight if you’re suffering from a form known as acute closed-angle glaucoma (section below).

The treatment options include eye drops, laser trabeculoplasty, and surgery. Laser surgery creates a small hole in the iris, which allows excess fluid to drain from the eye and relieves pressure. This type of surgery is usually only necessary for more severe cases of glaucoma.

• Normal tension glaucoma

Normal tension glaucoma is a type of glaucoma that develops when the pressure inside your eye becomes too high, causing damage to the optic nerve. This can happen gradually and without symptoms for some time.

Symptoms include blurry vision, pain in one or both eyes (that may be worse at night, and redness around the pupil (which doesn’t look like it’s getting bigger). The eye doctor may recommend laser trabeculoplasty, minimally invasive surgery, glaucoma drainage devices, or trabeculectomy.

Trabeculectomy involves making a small incision in the white part of the eye so that fluid can drain out and relieve pressure. This type of surgery carries a higher risk of complications than laser surgery, but it may be necessary for very severe cases of glaucoma.

• Acute angle-closure glaucoma

Acute angle-closure glaucoma, or acute glaucoma with acute angle closure, is a medical emergency that often results in blindness. It happens when a person’s optic nerve is damaged by high pressure in their eye. The pressure damages the optic nerve and causes it to stop sending messages from the brain to your eyes.

Symptoms of acute angle-closure glaucoma include severe pain, nausea, vomiting, vision loss, blurred vision, and double vision (diplopia).

The glaucoma treatment near you includes inflammation suppression and angle closure reversal.

• Secondary glaucoma

An underlying condition or injury causes secondary glaucoma. Symptoms of secondary glaucoma include blurred vision, eye pain, and redness.

In addition to these symptoms, people with secondary glaucoma may also experience light sensitivity, headaches, and nausea.

The treatment options include medications, laser surgery, or conventional surgery.

• Congenital glaucoma Section: Secondary glaucoma, symptoms and treatment options

Secondary glaucoma is caused by damage to the eye’s drainage system. The most common cause of secondary glaucoma is an inherited defect in your iris that affects how it drains off excess fluid from your eyes.

When this happens, there’s more pressure inside the eye, which can lead to pain and irritation. Symptoms include blurred vision, halos around night lights, and possibly even headaches.

Treatment options include:

• Correcting hereditary factors such as contact lenses or surgery if necessary
• Using artificial tears containing medications such as scleral lubricants (which help reduce dryness)

Aftercare Tips for Glaucoma

After your glaucoma treatment in Monterey, CA, It’s important to care for them.

• Keep them clean and dry
• Use proper aftercare products designed specifically for the eye area, such as those made by Corrective Optical.
• Use prescribed medication and follow the instructions.

Your doctor will also want you to follow up with them regularly so that they can monitor how well the treatment is working.

Schedule an Appointment

Visit Eye MD Monterey for more information about glaucoma and treatment options.