Called the Sight Thief, What is Glaucoma?

Hermina's friend, glaucoma, is one of the most common causes of blindness after cataracts. However, glaucoma is a rare eye disease. The eye disease that is frequently heard in the eye minus or plus and cataract eye disease. Glaucoma eye disease is known as "The Sight Thief." Why is that?

 

Glaucoma eye disease is a collection of disease symptoms consisting of damage to the optic nerve, accompanied by a decrease in the visual field that may or may not be accompanied by intraocular pressure (pressure inside the eyeball that builds up as a result of the continuous production and circulation of ocular fluid). The initial symptoms of glaucoma are often not realized by the patient. The patient usually realizes that it is in an advanced stage. That's why glaucoma is called "The Sight Thief."

 

Symptoms to watch out for (advanced stage):

1. Blurred vision

2. Looking through a tunnel or keyhole (narrow field of view).

3. Red eye

4. Seeing the shadow of a circle when you see the light

5. High eye pressure

6. Watery eyes

7. From a headache to nausea and vomiting,

In contrast to cataracts, whose sufferers are dominated by the elderly, glaucoma can exist and affect all ages, from the elderly to children to adults and the elderly. Even glaucoma occurs without causing symptoms in its early stages. Then, when is the time to check eye health when there are no symptoms?

 

Recommended time for an eye exam

1. A 6 month old baby

2. A 3-year-old child

3. Preschool-age children

4. Every year after entering school

5. for adults every 6 months.

Tests are performed to detect glaucoma.

1. Visual acuity test

2. Examine your eye pressure

3. Optic nerve examination to look for signs of glaucoma

4. Visual field check

Risk factors that increase glaucoma Glaucoma can affect anyone, but there are several factors that can trigger glaucoma, such as:

1. Over the age of 40

2. I have a high refractive error (minus eye, plus eye).

3. Patients taking long-term medications such as steroids, asthma medications

4. People with comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension

5. I have a family history of glaucoma.

Although glaucoma is often called "The Thief of Sight", it turns out that glaucoma is one of the causes of blindness that can be avoided in addition to minus eyes and cataracts. Therefore, early detection is very important to be able to prevent glaucoma considering the symptoms that arise when glaucoma enters an advanced stage.