Essay On Glaucoma

Be careful! The incurable condition of glaucoma usually comes without any signs of warning! Many people do not realize that they are victims of glaucoma until it is too late. It is important for everybody to understand what the causes, symptoms, who is in prone to glaucoma, what can be done for the victims, and the treatments for the “silent thief of sight.” Today, there is still no cure for victims of glaucoma but it is evident that the people with this condition are very limited in their daily activities.

First, there are two basic types of glaucoma, open-angle and closed-angle glaucoma. The most common type of glaucoma is the open-angle type. Open-angle glaucoma (also known as primary open-angle and wide-angle glaucoma) is a type where there is fluid blockage in the eye and pressure builds up in the eye causing damage to the optic nerve. Closed-angle glaucoma is a much more serious situation. Closed angle occurs when fluid is blocked from draining out of the eye causing pressure to build in the front of the eye. This can be extremely painful and requires immediate medical treatment. The National Eye Institute addresses the serious situation by
With open-angle glaucoma, there are little if no symptoms for this type. Usually, the only sign for open-angle is the gradual loss of vision around the edges of the eye. This is the reason glaucoma is often called the “silent thief of sight” or the “sneak thief of vision.” Closed-angle glaucoma, however, is much different than open-angle in the context of symptoms. Closed-angle glaucoma has more severe symptoms. Dr. Kimberly Holland informs us of some of the common symptoms for closed-angle glaucoma: “See your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: severe eye pain, nausea, vomiting, redness in your eye, sudden vision disturbances, seeing colored rings around lights, [and] sudden blurred vision.”