What causes glaucoma? My stepdad is almost completely blind now.
 

He was just fine two weeks ago. Whatever the cause, it happened really fast. My mom is taking him back to the hospital tomorrow to see if he needs surgery. Kaiser sent him home on Friday with some meds. He seems to have gotten a tiny bit better as far as pain management goes but he can see only shadows he says. I think he is underplaying that even. Scary stuff for all of us.

A client of mine is having Glaucoma surgery this week. Fairly straight forward - cut eye open and then do something technical - I don't remember the details - but I think nowadays it's a slam dunk procedure more or less.

Tends to have a genetic component. Direct family get tested.

Surgery is to release pressure inside the eye ball. Some meds help.

But ask an specialist. I do teeth.:)

Diabetes can cause glaucoma (eye pressure). Treatment is either laser surgery (not really a surgery as much as a procedure) or eye drops.
My eye pressure was 24 in each eye, which is boarderline too high. After the procedure the pressure is down to 17 in each eye. Its been like that for 2 years now. I go for an eye doctor visit every 3 or 4 months and they check the optic nerve and pressure.
If not treated the pressure builds up which is not noticeable and then the person experiences vision problems that are not reversable. Once the optic nerves is damaged, it stays that way.

I take four eye drops twice a day for it, my pressure seems to stay around 11 and 12, I just got eye implants, Torig, for cataracts, boy do they make a difference. I haven't heard that they actually know what causes it, my dad was 89 and didn't have it, my mom was 80 and didn't have it, I know I have been knocked out a a few times and asked the doctor if that had anything to do with it, she said no. A hot looking blond Russian. I just wanted to answer this to bring up the hot looking blond Russian eye doctor.

ive had it for about 9 years now....and Im only 31. I found out when I went to wright Patterson to get my medical for a flying slot in the reserves. had my IOP tested and it was in the mid 30's.

did drops, lowered it to around 17.

Tried SLT (selective laser trabeculoplasty).....this uses a "cold" laser to cause phagocytosis. in a nutshell, my pressure was lowered for about 3 years, but creeped back up.

I take drops once a day at night...stays around 16-17.

usually it's caused my heredity...im an anomaly, since im the only person in my family to have had it.

oh yeah, and every six months I get it tested, along with a fiber analysis and field of vision test. I caught it early enough that I have no damage. 20/10 in both eyes, with perfect field of vision and a healthy optic nerve.

Glaucoma is one of the things that marijuanna has long been thought to help

Pics or ban...:D

Cantdrv55 there are basically two types of Glaucoma:

Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG), which is by far the most common form. This form can cause a painless slow loss of vision over time if left untreated. It is usually treated with medication...drops. Surgery is usually only done as a last resort if the IOP is not sufficiently controlled by meds.

Acute or Angle Closure Glaucoma (ACG) is the other type. This is caused by an acute or rapid rise in IOP due to a "closed angle", the angle being the space between the iris and the trabecular meshwork which is located near the outermost part of the cornea. This condition is extremely painfull and can result in a fairly quick loss of vision if left untreated for 24-48 hrs. Patients that are very farsighted or hyperopic are at a higher risk of developing this type. The treatment, if done soon enough, is actually fairly straightforward. A YAG laser is used to basically punch a couple of holes in the iris to allow the Aqueous Humour, the intraocular fluid, to by-pass the iris and open up the angle. Often times this procedure, called a Peripheral Iridotomy, may be performed on individuals deemed to be at risk of going on to develop ACG.

It sounds like your stepdad may have developed ACG....his siblings and children should be informed of this as they are at a higher risk of developing Glaucoma themselves.

If you go to my website....drwilson.optometry.net....you can find more info in the vision library section.

I hope this helps?

Alex

Does she take insurance? ;)

I would probably make a joke about Moose and Skvirrell and she'd walk out.

It has been a few years since my physiology of the eye class but if I remember correctly it is caused by high intraocular pressure. The pressure in the eye causes damage to the optic nerve. Additionally high intraocular pressure is directly related to high blood pressure. The high intraocular pressure can also lead to the lens becoming opaque, ie cataract.
There are some eye injuries that can cause it as well. Hyphema comes to mind.....that is about all I can remember. Great class though. Dr. Richard Ball was the prof at Michigan State.

Great info Alex. Thank you very much.

Doctor said pressure is down to manageable level but swelling is still there. Cannot do a full diagnosis today so he will have to return on Thursday. Doctor said odds are 50/50 that he will lose his sight at this point. Sucky odds.

My mother has been trying to get him to retire for years but he's refused because he does not have a pastime. Now that he's forced to retire, he probably won't be able to enjoy retirement.

My dad was going in for brain surgery a few years ago. CT scans looked very bad. In fact it was amazing that he was not dead or paralyzed. Doc calls me in for a last word w my dad. I go "while you are in there....can you dial his hearing up too? He never hears his cellphone and it drives the rest of us crazy". A little bit of humor Samurai style. Dad appreciated that. He made a full recovery within 6 months.

Yep Cantdrv55 glaucoma is bad. My mother passed away a year ago - she was 94yo.
She had glaucoma for about the last ten years of her life. It was caught relatively early but she did not go totally blind. It is caused by too much pressure within the eyeball and I believe she had ops on both eyes and later took drops. The worst was when she came out of a dark building into the bright sunlight. She had poor depth perception in those conditions. There is a hereditary risk for the offspring in terms of glaucoma but if it is your stepfather you could be okay. Regular eye check ups are essential. I am not doc or health prof but this is what I have learned from my mother.

One thing lead to another and because of her balance and eyesight she should have been using a walking stick but did not. She broke her hip a year before she died. Stubborn and proud!

2porscheguy gave you some good basic information.

Another form that can happen quickly and progress rapidly is neovascular glaucoma where blood vessels grow on the iris and into the angle where fluid normally drains. People with Diabetes that is not well controlled or for many years as well as people who have had vascular occlusions in the eye are at risk for this form. This can be particularly painful and difficult to control with a high risk of substantial vision loss.

A very nice summary FAQ is available at: Frequently Asked Questions — American Glaucoma Society

Well written without being too technical.

This board continues to blow me away. Such a wealth of information on so many subjects. Thanks all!

/\ /\ /\ +1!

Both POAG and ACG have many subtypes. Additionally, as other members have pointed out, Glaucoma can also develop secondary to trauma, certain meds especially steroids, and from post intraocular-surgery complications.

Alex