Glaucoma

Introduction: Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disease causing gradual peripheral vision degradation. It is not as strongly caused by diabetes as is diabetic retinopathy. However, glaucoma is still somewhat more common in diabetics and both diabetes and diabetic retinopathy are risk factors for glaucoma.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

• Symptoms of chronic glaucoma (including open-angle glaucoma):
  • No early symptoms - early stages are not usually noticable with no pain and no major vision changes
  • Gradual vision deterioration
  • Peripheral vision deterioration
  • Dim peripheral vision

See full list of 26 symptoms of Glaucoma

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Glaucoma:

• Vision & Eye Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Eye Tests
  • Home Vision Tests

Medical Textbooks Online about Glaucoma

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Glaucoma

• Visual acuity test
• Visual field test
• Dilated pupil exam
• Tonometry
• Air puff test

See full list of 10 diagnostic tests for Glaucoma

Wrongly Diagnosed with Glaucoma?

• Misdiagnosis of Glaucoma
• Failure to diagnose Glaucoma
• Underlying causes of Glaucoma (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Failure to diagnose Glaucoma

Misdiagnosis and Glaucoma

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Read more about Misdiagnosis and Glaucoma

Causes of Glaucoma

• Eye surgery
• Advanced cataracts
• Eye injury
• Eye tumors
• Uveitis (eye inflammation) (see Eye symptoms)

See full list of 7 causes of Glaucoma

More information about causes of Glaucoma:

• Medications, drugs, or substances causing Glaucoma (58 listings)
• Drug interactions causing Glaucoma (107 listings)
• Underlying causes of Glaucoma
• Glaucoma as a complication caused by other conditions
• Glaucoma as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Glaucoma

Treatments for Glaucoma

• Eye drops - to reduce pressure
  • Betoptic
  • Pilocarpine
  • Timoptic
  • Iopidine

See full list of 20 treatments for Glaucoma

Videos for Glaucoma

Patient Surveys for Glaucoma

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Glaucoma
  Take Survey  View Results

Prognosis for Glaucoma

Prognosis for Glaucoma: Not reversible, but can be slowed.

More about prognosis of Glaucoma

Reseach about Glaucoma

Visit our research pages for current research about Glaucoma treatments.

Clinical Trials for Glaucoma

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Glaucoma include:

• The Efficacy of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Normal Tension and Chronic Open Angle Glaucoma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Composition - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• African Americans With Glaucoma - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• SOLX Titanium Sapphire Laser for Trabeculoplasty - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)

See full list of 143 Clinical Trials for Glaucoma

Prevention of Glaucoma

Prevention information for Glaucoma has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Glaucoma.

• Early detection of glaucoma
• Regular eye examinations
• Prompt treatment

Read more about prevention of Glaucoma

Statistics for Glaucoma

• Medical statistics for Glaucoma
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Glaucoma
• Death and Mortality statistics for Glaucoma
• Society statistics for Glaucoma

Types of Glaucoma

• Open-angle glaucoma - the most common kind in the USA, about 3 million Americans, many not yet diagnosed.
• Low-tension glaucoma - when open-angle glaucoma occurs with low eye pressure.
• Normal-tension glaucoma - when open-angle glaucoma occurs with normal eye pressure.
• Closed-angle glaucoma - a sudden form of glaucoma that can be a medical emergercy.
• Congenital glaucoma - babies born with eye abnormality leading to glaucoma.

See full list of 8 Types of Glaucoma

Stories from Users Related to Glaucoma

• Ear popping/Sinus pressure
• Hypertension/Anxiety
• I have glaucoma, now what?
• back, hip, ab pressure, etc.
• Chronic Headaches / Pressure......Please Help!!
• pressure in pelvic area
• Secondary Hypertension?
• Please help- raised red hives/welts
• pressure in neck help
• Raising Eyebrows
• halo arond the streetlight, glaucoma or something else?
• nose and brain pressure linked?
• hallo around the streetlights. Glaucoma or not?
• glaucoma
• cannot raise arm more than a few inches
• hypertension
• Cyst , hypertension
• Terrible Pressure in Molar
• Pressure In Left Ear
• evenly placed raised bumps on back of toungue

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Glaucoma, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Glaucoma

Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology (Excerpt)

"Glaucoma" is a term used for a group of diseases that can lead to damage to the eye's optic nerve and result in blindness. (Source: Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology)

Keep your eyes healthy: NIDDK (Excerpt)

Glaucoma (glaw-KOH-muh) starts from pressure building up in the eye. Over time, this pressure damages your eye's main nerve--the optic nerve. The damage first causes you to lose sight from the sides of your eyes. (Source: excerpt from Keep your eyes healthy: NIDDK)

Aging - Women Getting Older: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Glaucoma is another common eye disease. This is the result of too much fluid pressure inside the eye. It can lead to vision loss and blindness. The cause of glaucoma is unknown. African-American women over the age of forty are at particular risk for glaucoma, as are all women over 60. If treated early, glaucoma often can be controlled and blindness prevented. To find glaucoma, the eye doctor will look at your eyes through dilated pupils. Treatment may be prescription eye drops, oral medications, or surgery. Most people with glaucoma have no early symptoms or pain from increased pressure. (Source: excerpt from Aging - Women Getting Older: NWHIC)

Aging and Your Eyes - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

Glaucoma results from too much fluid pressure inside the eye. It can lead to vision loss and blindness. The cause of glaucoma is unknown. If treated early, glaucoma often can be controlled and blindness prevented. To find glaucoma, the eye doctor will look at your eyes through dilated pupils. Treatment may be prescription eye drops, oral medications, or surgery. Most people with glaucoma have no early symptoms or pain from increased pressure. (Source: excerpt from Aging and Your Eyes - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Definitions of Glaucoma:

Increased pressure in the eyeball due to obstruction of the outflow of aqueous humor. - (Source - Diseases Database)

Increased pressure in the eyeball due to obstruction of the outflow of aqueous humor; damages the optic disc and impairs vision (sometimes progressing to blindness) - (Source - WordNet 2.1)