What Is Glaucoma? Symptoms, Causes And Treatment For The Eye Condition

It's estimated that more than 500,000 people have glaucoma in England and Wales, yet many more people may be living with the condition.

Any damage to the eyes cannot be reversed, so early diagnosis of glaucoma is vital.

With that in mind, here is everything you need to know about the eye condition in order to get the treatment you need, fast.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a condition that affects sight and is usually caused by a build up of pressure within the eye, according to the NHS.

"The eyeball contains a fluid called 'aqueous humour' which is constantly produced by the eye, with any excess drained though tubes," the NHS website explains.

"Glaucoma develops when the fluid cannot drain properly and pressure builds up, known as the intraocular pressure."

Intraocular pressure can damage the optic nerve, which sends signals from the eye to the brain.

What are the symptoms?

"For the most common type of glaucoma in this part of the world (open angle glaucoma), there are no warning signs at all," Paul Kinnear, consultant ophthalmologist at the Bupa Cromwell Hospital tells HuffPost UK Lifestyle.

"While this won’t cause problems in the short term, continued high pressure on the nerve causes damage to the peripheral vision, in a way that can’t be detected by the individual."

Because of this, it's important that opticians and ophthalmologists measure the pressure in the eye and do a visual field test during examinations, in order to spot the condition.

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But another, more rare type of glaucoma, called narrow angle glaucoma, does have symptoms.

"Early warning signs include seeing haloes around lights in the early evening, accompanied by a mild headache or ache around the eyeball," Kinnear says.

He adds that symptoms for a third type of glaucoma, called angle closure glaucoma, occur when the pressure in the eye becomes very high, very quickly.

"This can result in severe pain, nausea, vomiting and very blurred vision and tends to affect the elderly and those who are very long-sighted," he says.

Who is at risk?

Age is a significant risk factor for glaucoma as it affects around 1% of people in their 40s and up to 15% in the 80s, according to Bupa statistics.

"The main additional risk factor for glaucoma is having a parent with glaucoma which increases the overall lifetime risk of glaucoma to around 20%," Kinnear adds.

Previous research has also suggested women with low oestrogen levels may have an increased risk of glaucoma, while the NHS states that people of black-African or black-Caribbean origin are more likely to be diagnosed with open angle glaucoma, than people from other ethnic groups.

What treatment options are there?

Glaucoma is usually treated by lowering the pressure in the eye, most frequently, this is completed by eye drops that are applied once or twice per day.

"Other treatment options include laser therapy and some people require surgical procedures on the eye to reduce the pressure to an adequate level," Kinnear says.

How can it be prevented?

Both Cromwell and the NHS say that the best way to prevent glaucoma is to attend regular optician and ophthalmologist appointments.

Your Eye Color Reveals Information About Your Personality

Dark Brown/Black Eyes(01 of06)

You are most likely a natural born leader. If that doesn’t quite accurately describe you, you might be surprised to learn that that’s how people see you!People with eyes that are so dark brown, they sometimes appear black have one of the rarest eye colors. As such, they are often perceived as mysterious or secretive, yet a study in Current Psychology reported by Medical Daily showed that people with darker eyes are generally seen as more agreeable.Additionally, the darker your eye, the more melanin is in your system. A study published by the journal Personality and Individual Differences says that people with very dark eyes tend to drink considerably less than those with lighter eyes, while another study notes that people with darker eyes are generally better at sports that involve hitting targets (like tennis). The melanin acts as an insulator for connections between brain cells. The more melanin one has, the quicker their brains may work.You could potentially rule the world, if you can just find your inner strength. The world already sees you as a leader.

Blue Eyes(02 of06)

You possess great inner strength and physical strength, though many people may not see it. In fact, people often don’t see the real you and judge you negatively before they get the chance to know you. Perhaps people see you as weak, timid, or untrustworthy.People with blue eyes can often be perceived as timid or unassertive. The Daily Mail reports that in 2006, German psychologists found that blue-eyed children tended to be wary of new things and were considerably less open around their peers.Medical Daily reports that many people perceive people with blue eyes as being “competitive” and even “egotistical.”Despite these negative assessments, a pilot study reported by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine suggests that women with lighter-color eyes tend to tolerate pain better in childbirth than those with darker eyes. They also seemed to handle the stress of childbirth better. Dr. Inna Belfer of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine says, "In a study involving 58 pregnant women — 24 with dark-colored eyes and 24 with light-colored eyes — those with lighter eyes achieved greater reductions in postpartum anxiety, depression, and catastrophizing/rumination."If you have blue eyes, perhaps your inquisitive, cautious nature comes across as aloof to onlookers?

Gray Eyes(03 of06)

Gray eyes are rare, but they are really just a variation of blue eyes. Think of gray eyes as a dimmer switch on blue eyes.In other words, if you have dark gray eyes, your eyes are a shade of blue — but according to the Tech Museum of Innovation, dark gray eyes have more melanin in the front of the eyes, while pale, light gray eyes have considerably less.If you have dark gray eyes, you are either an exceptionally well-balanced person or you there are “two sides” to your proverbial coin. Perhaps there’s a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde situation going on inside of you. You can be different things to different people depending on whose needs need to be met. This can be a pro or a con depending on how much control you have over your emotions.If you have light gray eyes, you probably have to work a little harder than most people to exert yourself. You strive to be taken seriously, yet you also keep your defenses up. Though it takes a while to break through your concerned, wary exterior, you care deeply for people who are able to burst through.

Hazel Eyes(04 of06)

Hazel eyes are hard to describe — several people have their own definitions, though the hazel eyes are called so because of their resemblance to a hazelnut color.The Eye Doctor Guide describes hazel eyes as appearing to change color from green to brown, or as an iris that has two different colors. For example, perhaps the ring near your pupil is green, but it fades to brown closer to the perimeter of the iris.This shade is uncommon, so people with hazel eyes are told from a young age that they are different and unique. Even the colors of hazel eyes and the specifics surrounding them are unique to each person who has hazel eyes.As such, those with hazel eyes tend to be independent, confident, and spontaneous. The amount of melanin in the eye varies from person to person, so you can never pin down their personality, though a common theme seems to be a balanced personality that can sometimes be mysterious to read.Dr. Matthew Leach of the University of South Australia claims that people with hazel eyes might have such mixed colors in their eyes due to materials from the bloodstream that were broken down because of liver imbalance. As such, people with hazel eyes might be more prone to digestive issues.

Brown Eyes(05 of06)

As we discussed in the very dark brown/black eyes description, brown eyes are the result of having more melanin in your system than those with lighter eyes. You tend to be agreeable, assertive, and people look to you with confidence.The Charles University in Prague describes people with brown eyes as being generally very loyal, respectful, and gentle people, though certainly not submissive.Do you disagree with that? Do you think of yourself as more of a cranky, easily agitated person? You may not be getting enough sleep!A study in the journal Chronobiology International revealed that people with brown eyes generally sleep two hours less than people with lighter eyes, and their sleep cycles tend to be poorer. People with brown eyes generally have a harder time getting up in the morning.

Green Eyes(06 of06)

If you have green eyes, I have to congratulate you. It seems that most people view you as alluring, sexy, and mysterious.A study released by the Impulse Corporation in Los Angeles studied the appeal of people with various eye colors. The most commonly shared descriptor for people with green eyes was “sexy.” Most participants who said they wanted to change their eye color specified green as their hue of choice.Green eyes have a balance of melanin that keeps them agreeable and dominant like those with brown eyes, yet strong and cautious like those with blue eyes.Ophthalmologist Surgeon Doctor Hamadi Kallel has studied many of the research studies on the topic of eye color and says that people with green eyes “have an air of mystery and a quiet self-sufficiency. [They are] often unpredictable, but slow to anger… They are original, creative and perform well under great pressure.”

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