Comfort Keepers Homecare Services in Tulsa,OK: What You Need to Know About Glaucoma on National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Comfort Keepers homecare services of Tulsa, OK discusses the risks, symptoms and much more of glaucoma 

Glaucoma is not considered to be a painful disease, but it does need attention and should be handled right away because it is a serious condition. Glaucoma affects the optic nerve in the eye and this is the nerve that allows you to see. Unfortunately, glaucoma is one of the leading causes of vision loss and blindness in senior citizens. The Comfort Keepers homecare services team will talk to you below about the causes, risks, and symptoms of glaucoma along with some of the treatment options.

Causes of Glaucoma

Glaucoma will present itself when there is too much pressure within the eye and this pressure is caused from fluid buildup that does not drain out. The pressure stops the optic nerve from being able to work properly, which means you will experience vision loss and blindness. Comfort Keepers homecare services suggest that seniors should have their eyes checked at least once per year, as pressure buildup is not the only cause. In fact, additional causes include poor blood flow or a fragile optic nerve.

Risk Factors of Glaucoma

The biggest risk factor for glaucoma is elevated eye pressure within the eye. Sometimes, there are additional risk factors that may be present such as previous eye injuries, thin corneas, steroid use, nearsightedness, family history of glaucoma, and old age.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

The team at Comfort Keepers homecare services stress that many seniors do not even experience symptoms of glaucoma, especially if they have open-angle glaucoma. The only symptom is vision loss, which can occur quickly.

Narrow-angle glaucoma does present with symptoms such as redness of the eye, severe eye pain, blurred vision, and seeing halos around lights.

Treatments for Glaucoma

There are a variety of treatments for glaucoma and the most common is treat via prescribed eye drops. The drops are used to reduce the pressure in the eye and help the fluid drain from the eye. If the drops do not work, your eye doctor may prescribe you oral medication.

Another treatment option is surgery, which is done via laser. This option is generally used to treat open-angle glaucoma in seniors. The surgery tends to be very effective, but is not always the first choice and only chosen when other options do not work.

Comfort Keepers homecare services wants you to know that while glaucoma is not preventable, it can be managed and treated with early care.