Are any of you fans of Dr. House? If so, this may be of particular interest to you! Glaucoma is quite common in the hospital TV series. Dr. Chase especially seems to have an affinity for treating the disease, for example. But the show is never clear in explaining what the disease really is. So let me do it for you: what is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease characterized by a rise in intraocular pressure (IOP). Although no irrefutable correlation has been established between this symptom and the sickness, they are generally connected. Patients suffering from glaucoma generally come into the medical clinic with red eyes. This sickness also causes the eyes to degenerate, making the patient progressively lose his optical-fiber nerves. Glaucoma is one of the main causes of blindness in the world, and as such must be treated carefully.
How Do You Get Glaucoma?
As previously stated, much of the time glaucoma is related, however vaguely, to a rise in the patient’s intraocular pressure. This is believed to disturb the circulation of the eye liquid that works as a moisturizer, irritating the patient’s eyes, eventually causing them to become worryingly red. As this liquid builds up inside the eye, it surpasses normal levels, causing glaucoma.
Who is Most Likely to Suffer From Glaucoma?
Patients over the age of 40 are more likely to contract the disease. There also seems to be a genetic link; families with extended glaucoma histories show higher contraction rates. If the patient’s eyes have been affected in the past by any other sickness, particularly diabetes, they are also more likely to suffer from glaucoma.
Are There Any Available Treatments?
The first step to cure glaucoma is generally eye drops, which effectively reduce IOP. However, this is purely a preventative measure to stop the patient’s vision from worsening during the course of the disorder. Glaucoma is not easy to deal with, and it requires long and regular doctor’s session to be controlled.
Actually eliminating glaucoma requires either laser surgery or microsurgery. In these operations, surgeons stop the liquid in the eyeball from accumulating in certain areas by building channels that allow the liquid to circulate properly.
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