Home Health Services in Racine, WI from Comfort Keepers: What You Need to Know About Glaucoma on National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Comfort Keepers Home Health Services in Racine, WI, and surrounding areas wants to help you manage glaucoma

Glaucoma is not considered to be a painful disease, but it does need special attention, as it causes damage to the optic nerve and this can cause vision loss and complete blindness, especially in seniors. In fact, glaucoma is considered one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly. Below, the experts at Comfort Keepers home health services will discuss the condition in detail to help you gain a better understanding of it.

Causes of Glaucoma

Glaucoma occurs in individuals who have fluid buildup within the eye. When the fluid cannot drain properly, pressure builds up and places stress on the optic nerve, which in turn cannot work and causes vision loss or blindness.

Many people think that the pressure must be present for the disease, but the Comfort Keepers home health services team warns that individuals who have a fragile optic nerve or poor blood flow in the eye can have the disease as well.

Risk Factors for Glaucoma

One of the biggest risk factors for this eye disease is elevated pressure within the eye. Some of the other common risk factors that may be present include old age, family history of glaucoma, thin corneas, history of shock or anemia, steroid use, and nearsightedness.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

Unfortunately, if your loved one experiences open-angle glaucoma, there are no symptoms that present themselves to warn of the condition. In fact, the only symptom that is generally experienced is vision loss and at this point, may be too late. Comfort Keepers home health services suggest that seniors have a regularly scheduled eye exam performed at least once per year to check.

Another type of glaucoma, narrow-angle, is a medical emergency and requires immediate intervention. This type presents itself with a variety of symptoms to include severe eye pain, redness of the eye, vomiting and nausea, blurred vision, and seeing halos around lights.

Treatment Options for Glaucoma

There are many different ways that glaucoma can be treated and the most relied on and common method is through eye drops. These drops work to reduce the fluid buildup in the eye, which then lowers the eye pressure. While these drops are helpful, not everyone benefits from their use and when they do not work for an individual, the eye doctor may prescribe oral medication.

Another treatment option is surgery, which is often used for open-angle glaucoma. The surgical procedure is considered effective and works to stop fluid blockage within the eye.

The Comfort Keepers home health services want to remind you that glaucoma cannot be prevented, so it is vital that your loved one see an optometrist to have his or her eyes checked regularly.