Glaucoma is a disease you may have heard of before. While it’s not as well-known as cataracts, it’s actually a serious eye condition that can lead to blindness if left untreated. Glaucoma is characterized by damage to the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain and helps us see. Cataracts are another common eye condition that also affects your vision; however, they don’t have any effect on your vision or your ability to see.
The main difference between glaucoma and cataracts is that glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve while cataracts do not. The optic nerve transmits visual information from your eyes to your brain so you can see clearly. Glaucoma causes damage to this nerve and can lead to blindness if left untreated. If you are experiencing symptoms such as blurred vision or changes in color perception, schedule an appointment with the best ophthalmologist or best eye hospital in Delhi immediately!
Diagnosis for Glaucoma
If you have symptoms of an eye disease, it’s important to see a doctor. If you have any questions about the nature of your condition and whether or not treatment is required, you should consult an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
The following tests may be performed on patients with suspected glaucoma:
- Medical examination
- Optical coherence tomography (abbreviated OCT) — This imaging test uses light waves to create images of structures within the eye and reveal any abnormalities such as glaucoma damage. Additionally, it helps diagnose glaucoma by measuring the pressure inside the eye.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
As with cataracts, glaucoma presents similar symptoms. Some of these symptoms include:
- The feeling of nausea and headaches
- Increased sensitivity to light (photophobia)
- Blurred vision, especially at night (nyctalopia) or upon waking up in the morning (morning glory syndrome)
5 Powerful Things You Can Use to Strengthen Your Heart
Different types of cataract
A cataracts is a common eye disease that mostly affects diabetics and is more common in the elderly. It appears as a fuzzy patch in the lens of the eye. The lens allows light to enter the eye and projects images onto the retina at the back. When the proteins in the eye break down, they clump together to form the foggy area, which is often white, yellow, or brown in colour.
There are three different types of cataract: Subcapsular, nuclear, and cortical.
- Ultrasound does not visualize the lens capsule in subcapsular cataract. The edge of the lens appears blurred on ultrasound and the posterior cortex appears clear with a hyperechoic halo around it.
- Nuclear Cataract: The posterior cortex appears hyperechoic on ultrasonography, with a hypoechoic halo around it. This type of cataract may occur when there is increased activity in the anterior chamber angle (such as inflammation) or decreased vascular supply to the eye
Available Treatments
The treatment for glaucoma includes medications, surgery and lifestyle changes. Your doctor will recommend a combination of therapies to help you manage your disease.
Medications
The use of medications is a crucial component of glaucoma treatment. Most people who have glaucoma need to take medication daily to control their disease. These drugs reduce the pressure inside your eye and help prevent further damage from occurring. Some types of medications can be taken as pills, while others need to be injected directly into your eye (intraocularly). Your doctor will decide which is best for you based on:
- Your symptoms and level of visual impairment (if any)
- The type of glaucoma you have
- Other medical conditions that may affect treatment choices
Glaucoma is more dangerous than cataract
Glaucoma is a lifelong eye disease that damages the optic nerve, which transmits information from your retina (the structure in the back of your eye that senses light and color) to your brain. The disease can progress slowly and cause no symptoms until it has reached an advanced stage. The most common symptoms are blurred vision and halos around lights at night. Glaucoma usually affects both eyes, although one eye may be affected more than the other.
