What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a clinical condition in which intraocular pressure (IOP) becomes abnormally high, preventing the eye’s drainage system from functioning properly.

Its significance lies in the fact that the disease is frequent, irreversible, but controllable—making early diagnosis and proper treatment essential to halt its progression. Argon Laser and YAG Laser treatments are especially useful in preventing the disease from advancing to glaucoma.

Several factors influence IOP, including heredity, age, and even time of day.

What are the most common symptoms?

Many types of glaucoma produce no early symptoms, which is why they often go unnoticed. For this reason, regular eye exams and necessary diagnostic tests by an ophthalmologist are strongly recommended.

Some patients may experience changes in vision, blurred vision, colored halos around lights, difficulty reading, eye pain, nausea, decreased visual acuity, and eye redness.

How is glaucoma detected?

Most people believe they have glaucoma when the pressure inside the eye increases. This isn't always true: high pressure puts them at risk for glaucoma, but it doesn't always mean they have the disease.

Although normal blood pressure is between 12 and 21 mm Hg, a person can have glaucoma even if their pressure is within this range. Therefore, eye examinations are very important.

To detect glaucoma, the ophthalmologist performs the following visual tests:

  • Visual acuity test
  • Visual field test
  • Pupil dilation
  • Tonometry (measurement of intraocular pressure)

What does treatment involve?

Treatment depends on the underlying cause and stage of the disease. Options include:

  • Medication: usually eye drops that reduce intraocular pressure.
  • Laser therapy: Argon Laser or YAG Laser treatment.
  • Surgery: required in cases of congenital glaucoma or narrow-angle glaucoma, usually involving filtering procedures such as trabeculectomy, always after a complete patient evaluation.

Who is at risk for glaucoma?

Anyone can develop glaucoma, but some groups are at higher risk:

  • All individuals over the age of 60
  • People with a family history of glaucoma