Glaucoma can cause blindness with little warning
Danville businessman Louis Mervis was already coping with one type of vision problem when he learned he had another serious eye disease -- glaucoma.
Image courtesy of the National Eye Institute
A person with glaucoma cannot see everything clearly as illustrated in this photo.
Often called the sneak thief of sight because it can rob patients of vision before they know they have a problem, glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. More than half of its victims don't know they have the disease because of its slow onset.
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and a good time to become aware of the risk factors for the disease, says Louis B. Cantor, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.
Mervis, originally diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy -- a side effect of diabetes -- found his way to the Department of Ophthalmology after his eye doctor noticed the beginning stages of glaucoma. Mervis, a 1956 IU grad, often returns to his alma mater's medical school for health care.
Diabetes is just one of the risk factors for developing glaucoma. Other risk factors include age; being of African or Spanish descent; having a family history of glaucoma; having elevated eye pressure; being farsighted or nearsighted; having previous eye injuries; and having other health problems such as diabetes, low blood pressure or migraine headaches.
In addition to diabetes, Mervis had another risk factor.
"I had family members who had glaucoma, and with one it had gotten to the point where they have no sight at all," he said. "And given that I have diabetes, well, there was a chance I could have major problems."
Mervis credits early detection with his vision success.
"I had a very early diagnosis and I had a problem with both eyes," Mervis said. "We caught it at a very early onset and Dr. Cantor wanted to make sure he could limit the damage to my eyes."
It's particularly important for diabetics to undergo regular dilated eye exams, allowing the Eye M.D. to check for other vision impairments such as glaucoma. Both diabetes and glaucoma have slow progression, and often sight is lost before a diagnosis. Cantor said.
About Glacoma:
- Glaucoma occurs when pressure builds in the eye and causes damage to the optic nerve, which carries the images we see to the brain. The damage to the optic nerve can cause blind spots to develop, and the spots often go unnoticed until they become larger and impair more of your sight. Left untreated, glaucoma can cause blindness. Early treatment can often prevent the loss of sight, Cantor said. The most common types of glaucoma are open-angle glaucoma and acute closed-angle glaucoma.
- Open-angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma and occurs when fluid is blocked from flowing back out of the eye at a normal rate, causing pressure to build in the eye. It's this type of glaucoma that often shows no -- or slow -- symptoms.
- In angle-closure glaucoma, the iris, or colored part of the eye, can drop and close the drainage angle, preventing fluid from draining and creasing pressure in the eye. In some cases there is a sudden increase in pressure due to the buildup of fluid. When this happens it is considered an emergency because nerve damage and sight loss can occur within hours. This type of glaucoma often comes with symptoms such as eye pain, seeing halos around lights, nausea and vomiting.
"The most important thing to remember is that early detection is the best defense against glaucoma," Cantor said.
Treatment will vary based on the type and severity of the disease.
"Eye drops, laser treatments or surgery can in some cases stop the progression of the disease but are not cures and will not restore vision," Cantor said. "The best course of action is for people to know their risk factors and undergo regular eye exams."
Mervis said fearing the problem or the diagnosis is no reason to avoid seeing an eye doctor.
"Doing nothing is not the best choice," Mervis said. "I'm fortunate; I have insurance that allows me to go where I want for care. My advice is to go to the best doctor you can find and trust their judgment. Doing nothing is not an option."
To read more articles from the School of Medicine, visit http://newsinfo.iu.edu/cat/page/normal/358.html.
