Glaucoma is a rare but much-talked-about condition. It affects less than 1% of people between the ages of 40 and 70, the age group most likely to have glaucoma. A professor at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry estimates that approximately 50% of people being treated for glaucoma do not have it.
Just what is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that chokes off the optic nerve as it enters the eye. It starts on the edges and eventually destroys more and more nerves. The nerves on the edge of the optic nerve go to the periphery of the eye. Thus, people with glaucoma start losing their side vision. As it worsens, more and more nerves are destroyed until you only have a very small peripheral vision and only central vision.
What happens when you have glaucoma?
Glaucoma is thought to be caused by increased pressure in the eye, either because too much fluid is produced or because not enough fluid is drained from the eye. Unfortunately, why this happens is still open to question. Treatment consists of drugs that either reduce the production of the fluid or enhance its outflow. Drugs that reduce fluid production have more side effects, so greater emphasis is placed on outflow. Xalatan® (latanoprost) seems to be the drug of choice. For women, that may be good news as the drug darkens and lengthens eyelashes. However, it can darken the circles under the eye. Shortly after the discovery and positive side effect, Latisse® was marketed to darken and lengthen eyelashes!
There are two chambers within the eye: one behind the outer surface, called the cornea, which extends to the lens of the eye. The second extends from behind the lens to the back of the eye. The back portion, called the posterior chamber, contains a fluid similar to unjelled Jell-O. The front surface, called the anterior chamber, contains a liquid similar to tears called the aqueous humor, or aqueous for short. Where the edge of the cornea meets the anterior portion of the iris, the aqueous is produced. It flows through the pupil, exits the peripheral region of the back of the pupil, and runs out of the eye through a meshwork called the trabecular meshwork.
If there is too much aqueous production or the aqueous does not exit quickly enough, pressure builds in the eye like blowing up a balloon too much without popping it. That pushes toward the back of the eye. The optic nerve is the weakest point within the eye as it passes through an opening in the sclera, the firm outer coating of the eye. It is the white part you see when looking at someone’s eye. That is where the added pressure presses against the optic nerves and eventually crimps and damages them.
Just what is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that chokes off the optic nerve as it enters the eye. It starts on the edges and eventually destroys more and more nerves. The nerves on the edge of the optic nerve go to the periphery of the eye. Thus, people with glaucoma start losing their side vision. As it worsens, more and more nerves are destroyed until you only have a very small peripheral vision and only central vision.
What happens when you have glaucoma?
Glaucoma is thought to be caused by increased pressure in the eye, either because too much fluid is produced or because not enough fluid is drained from the eye. Unfortunately, why this happens is still open to question. Treatment consists of drugs that either reduce the production of the fluid or enhance its outflow. Drugs that reduce fluid production have more side effects, so greater emphasis is placed on outflow. Xalatan® (latanoprost) seems to be the drug of choice. For women, that may be good news as the drug darkens and lengthens eyelashes. However, it can darken the circles under the eye. Shortly after the discovery and positive side effect, Latisse® was marketed to darken and lengthen eyelashes!
There are two chambers within the eye: one behind the outer surface, called the cornea, which extends to the lens of the eye. The second extends from behind the lens to the back of the eye. The back portion, called the posterior chamber, contains a fluid similar to unjelled Jell-O. The front surface, called the anterior chamber, contains a liquid similar to tears called the aqueous humor, or aqueous for short. Where the edge of the cornea meets the anterior portion of the iris, the aqueous is produced. It flows through the pupil, exits the peripheral region of the back of the pupil, and runs out of the eye through a meshwork called the trabecular meshwork.
If there is too much aqueous production or the aqueous does not exit quickly enough, pressure builds in the eye like blowing up a balloon too much without popping it. That pushes toward the back of the eye. The optic nerve is the weakest point within the eye as it passes through an opening in the sclera, the firm outer coating of the eye. It is the white part you see when looking at someone’s eye. That is where the added pressure presses against the optic nerves and eventually crimps and damages them.