
Glaucoma: Ladrón silencioso de la visión
15 March 2021
Glaucoma, commonly known as "the silent thief of vision", is an eye disease caused by increased intraocular pressure, which causes progressive and irreversible damage to the optic nerve.
Among the types of glaucoma are:
▪Primary open-angle glaucoma: This is the most common type of glaucoma. It occurs gradually, when the eye does not drain as well as it should the fluid that it is constantly producing internally (similar to a clogged drain). As a result, the pressure in the eye increases and begins to damage the optic nerve. This type of glaucoma is not painful and does not cause any changes in vision at first.
▪ Angle-closure glaucoma (also called "narrow-angle glaucoma"). This type occurs when the iris is very close to the drainage angle in the eye. When it is completely blocked, pressure in the eye rises rapidly. We call this an acute attack and it is a true eye emergency, so the ophthalmologist should be contacted immediately. Otherwise, the patient could completely and irreversibly lose vision.
Glaucoma damage is permanent, it cannot be reversed. However, progressive vision loss can be stopped by medication and / or surgery.
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in people over 60 years of age.
Consult your ophthalmologist regularly.