What Is Glaucoma?
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. As the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States, individuals need to understand what glaucoma is, how it affects vision, and what to look out for if they’re at risk for glaucoma.
How Does Glaucoma Affect Eyes?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that affects the optic nerve, causing vision loss and blindness. You can develop glaucoma at any age, but it is more common among senior adults. There are two primary types of glaucoma diagnosed in older adults: open-angle and angle-closure.
- Open-angle is the most commonly diagnosed form of glaucoma. There are often no symptoms in the early stages of the condition, but it can gradually cause blind spots in your peripheral vision. As the condition progresses, it can also cause changes to your central vision.
- Angle-closure presents more early symptoms, such as headaches, eye pain, or blurred vision. Some people also notice halos or colored rings around lights.
Is Glaucoma Treatable?
The damage glaucoma causes to your vision is irreversible. However, treatments are available to slow or stop the progression of the disease, such as medications and surgery.
Prescription eye drops are often the most commonly administered treatment for those newly diagnosed with glaucoma. The eye drops can help reduce pressure and prevent optic nerve damage. Most prescription eye drops are for daily use and rarely cause side effects, although blurry vision, redness around the eye, and headaches may occur.
If prescription eye drops cannot slow or ease symptoms, your doctor may suggest laser treatment. During a laser treatment, your doctor uses lasers to drain fluid to relieve eye pressure. This in-office procedure causes minimal pain or discomfort and allows patients to return to normal activities within 24 hours. Some patients experience slight swelling, soreness, or dry eye after treatment, but it typically goes away with prescription eye drops.
In more severe glaucoma cases, your doctor might suggest surgery. One common surgery is trabeculectomy to treat open-angle glaucoma. This procedure is when a doctor creates a tiny opening at the top of the eye, under the eyelid, to allow fluid drainage and reduce pressure. Another common surgery is implanting a small tube into the white part of the eye to drain fluids. Both these treatments are done in hospitals and may have a short recovery time.
How Can Visiting Angels Help Clients With Glaucoma?
Caring for yourself while living with glaucoma can make everyday tasks more challenging, especially as the condition progresses. But developing glaucoma doesn’t have to lead to a loss of independence.
Visiting Angels works with clients with glaucoma and other vision challenges to ensure they’re safe and comfortable in their homes by providing non-medical assistance. This assistance can include meal preparation, assistance with hygiene, dressing, bathing, grooming, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and errands and can be customized for your individual needs.
Our locally owned and operated home care agency in Atlanta East works with clients throughout Atlanta, Buckhead, Decatur, Vinings, and the surrounding areas. You can contact us to learn more about our services and schedule a complimentary consultation.