Living With Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in the United States, affecting nearly 80 million people. January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to learn about the condition, how it affects one’s vision, and possible treatment options.
What Is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that affects the optic nerve because of the pressure from fluid buildup at the front of the eye. Eyes consistently create a liquid called aqueous humor, which helps keep the eye healthy. As the eye produces new fluid, old fluid goes through the drainage angle. When someone has glaucoma, fluid is not draining correctly, creating a fluid build that puts pressure on the optic nerve and causes vision changes. As the disease progresses, it may cause intense eye pain, red eye, and blurry vision.
Anyone can develop glaucoma; however, it is more common after the age of 60. It’s also more likely to develop in people with a family history of glaucoma and those of African American descent. If you have a high risk of glaucoma, experts suggest getting an annual comprehensive dilated eye exam. The eye exam can determine if you have early stages of glaucoma before experiencing any symptoms.
Preventing And Treating Glaucoma
Eye specialists are still unsure what causes glaucoma, and there are no prevention measures to keep from developing the disease. There is also no cure for glaucoma, and unfortunately, doctors can not reverse any eye damage from glaucoma. However, there are treatments available to slow or stop the progression of glaucoma.
- Comprehensive dilated eye exam: Since there’s no way to cure or reverse the effects of glaucoma, it’s essential to catch the disease early. You want to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam every one to two years, depending on your risk of developing glaucoma. These eye exams can help doctors find the disease during the early stages to slow or stop the progression before vision loss occurs.
- Eye drops: Prescription eye drops are often one of the first treatments doctors suggest for people with glaucoma to reduce eye pressure. A doctor may prescribe various eye drops, but most are daily.
- Laser treatment: If you’re not getting enough symptom relief from eye drops, your doctor may suggest laser treatment. This treatment is an outpatient procedure that uses lasers to decrease fluid buildup.
- Surgery: Depending on the severity of your glaucoma, your doctor may need to perform surgery to relieve the eye pressure. The most common glaucoma surgery is trabeculectomy, which is when the doctor removes part of the eye-drainage tubes to help fluid drain more freely.
How Visiting Angels Can Help Clients With Glaucoma
Glaucoma can significantly affect your vision, making it difficult to complete daily chores and tasks. But changes to your vision don’t mean you have to sacrifice your independence. Visiting Angels is dedicated to helping seniors remain safe and comfortable at home, no matter their physical challenges.
Visiting Angels Garland is a locally owned and operated home care agency providing at-home care services to seniors throughout Garland and the surrounding areas. Our team of compassionate caregivers can help with cooking, cleaning, medication reminders, personal grooming, transportation, mobility, and more.
You can learn more about how our at-home care services can improve your quality of life by scheduling a complimentary consultation.