Chronic Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Common Cause Of…

In open-angle glaucoma, in that place is each imbalance in the lengthening and drainage of the bright liquid (called the watery caprice) that fills the inspection’s previous hall. This may occur for the cause that moreover abundant waterish is produced through . the ciliary carcass or the drainage channels (trabecular meshwork) in the preceding hollow are blocked, causing in the mind sight affliction (IOP) to go.

As IOP increases, the pressure pushes harder against the nerve fibers of the optic nerve, which transmits images to the brain. This increased pressure reduces the blood supply to the optic nerve, depriving it of oxygen and nutrients. Over time, high eye pressure can cause irreversible optic nerve damage and vision loss.

Left untreated, chronic glaucoma can lead to blindness. According to the National Eye Institute, approximately 3 million Americans have open-angle glaucoma and as many as 120,000 are blind from the disease.

• Age. Your risk for developing open-angle glaucoma increases significantly after age 40 and continues to increase with each additional decade. Aging also can cause drainage channels in the trabecular meshwork to shrink or narrow, which slows the outflow of fluid from the eye.
• Certain medical problems. Diabetes, extreme nearsightedness and previous eye surgery are risk factors for chronic open-angle glaucoma. If you have a condition that requires the use of oral or inhaled steroids, particularly if high doses are needed for prolonged periods, this can increase your risk as well. Other medical conditions that may increase your risk of open-angle glaucoma include migraine headaches, high blood pressure, narrowed blood vessels (vasospasm) and cardiovascular disease.
• Eye abnormalities. Certain abnormalities affecting internal eye structures can cause glaucoma. Pseudoexfoliation syndrome causes proteins in the eye‘s natural lens, iris and other structures to slough off and clog the eye‘s drainage system. Glaucoma also can result when a misshapen iris blocks the filtration angle where drainage occurs.
• Race. Chronic glaucoma is three to four times more common in African-Americans than in whites. Also, African-Americans are more likely to develop an aggressive form of the disease at a younger age.

Family history. Your risk of developing open-angle glaucoma may be three to four times higher if one or more of your parents or siblings have the disease.

Chronic glaucoma gradually reduces your peripheral vision. But by the time you notice it, permanent damage may have already occurred. If your IOP remains high, the damage can progress until significant loss of your peripheral vision develops, and you will be able to see only objects that are straight ahead.

Risk factors for chronic or open-angle glaucoma include:

As with other forms of glaucoma, your treatment options may include topical glaucoma eye drops. Laser
and/or nonlaser glaucoma surgery may also be recommended as a way to control IOP.