This January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and Franciscan Physicians Hospital is here to provide you with some important information about the disease and how you can stay alert toward its occurrence. Dr. Karen Briggs, DO, brings us the following beneficial information.
What is glaucoma?
"Glaucoma is a disease of potential blindness. It is the #2 cause of blindness in the U.S. and the #1 cause in African American patients. Glaucoma is an elevation of pressure in the eye that destroys the optic nerve. The elevation of pressure causes minimized blood flow to the eye. The damaged nerve eventually kills the other nerves."
How long does glaucoma take to have a detrimental effect on an individual's vision?
"Each person is different. There are different types of glaucoma and depending on the individual, it progresses at different rates."
How many people in the U.S. have glaucoma, roughly?
"They figure that one in fifty people have it and don't even know. The number one age group is non-Hispanic white females above 80. The Hispanic population has emerged as especially susceptible to glaucoma. The chance of Latino individuals becoming blind is now equal to that of African American individuals. Macular Degeneration risk is the same as well."
What is the average age for acquiring glaucoma?
"Glaucoma can come on at any age, which is the problem. The misconception is that glaucoma only affects the elderly population. Patients should be screened much sooner than they often are. You should always have your eye pressure checked when you have an eye exam. Not every place takes eye pressure readings, which can be a mistake."
What are some early symptoms of glaucoma?
"Primary glaucoma, the most common form, has no symptoms until the patient has suffered such severe nerve damage that their side vision is affected. The goal in the United States is to catch that before it happens and the disease speeds up. Also, primary glaucoma has no pain, so it can't be physicially detected in the patient."
Can glaucoma be prevented?
"No, there is no prevention at this time."
How does someone with glaucoma treat the condition?
"in the U.S. the first role of treatment is eye drops."
What is considered normal eye pressure?
"Eye pressure below 21 with no nerve damage is considered normal. Unfortunately, there is a form of low tension glaucoma. People with this type have eye pressure in the normal range, yet they still face damage."
How is glaucoma diagnosed?
"Family history comes first. After risk and prevalence from family history is assessed, we take the eye pressure by dilating the patient and looking at their optic nerve. Nearly 50% of glaucoma is missed if you dilate the patient and don't take the eye pressure. Pressure can be normal at the doctors office, but it can also fluctuate from the time of day and from day to day. After assessing the patient's eyes, they determine if there is damage or not. If so, they do visual fields to determine side vision and many doctors now do nerve fiber analysis to measure the thickness of the nerves. They compare results with averages from age, sex and race."
How long does glaucoma treatment last?
"Each patient is different but almost always it's the rest of the patient's life. If surgery is successful, patients can stay off eye drops for a while, but they will eventually be back on them due to digression of the condition."
What are the risks and side effects associated with treatment?
"one of the risks associated with treatment is medication. Medications can cause increased pigmentation of the iris, dryness of the eye, and beta blockers can cause breathing problems in patients with asthma and COPD. Depression and slow heart rate can also occur. Patients have to be very forward about their medical history so that there aren't any confrontations."
As glaucoma treatment and research continues to expand, so does the knowledge of physicians at Franciscan Physicians Hospital. Dr. Briggs is exceptionally knowledged in glaucoma diagnosis and treatment. A special thanks to Dr. Briggs for the information she provided!
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