According to a statistic, there is a 20% probability that you have glaucoma if you are over 65. Older than 70 – 30%. Older than 85 – 40%
However, there are specific ethnic groupings where the likelihood is higher. African-Americans, Russian Jews, Poles, Lithuanians, and other Eastern Europeans need routine check-ups because they are at a higher risk.
Why do some experience intraocular pressure while others do not? Why the injustice?
Everyone has and needs intraocular pressure. But while everyone is concerned with having higher-than-normal pressure, lower-than-normal levels are just as bad – the eye can’t keep its shape and there isn’t enough fluid to nourish the internal organs. Higher pressures lead to glaucoma, which puts stress on the optic nerve and causes it to atrophy. Normal pressure is measured from 10 to 20, but just like everything else (blood pressure, for example) you can’t take statistics from the general population and apply that to a specific person. There are people who measure at 20 and do not have glaucoma, and 50% of people who already have glaucoma are lower than 21. Pressure, however, is the only factor we can control.
Do elevated pressures vary between nations and nationalities?
Yes. African-Americans, for example, are 10 times more likely to develop glaucoma, even with normal eye pressure.
How does it manifest itself subjectively? Does the person always feel something? Like the eye is being pulled apart, or that it might explode?
There aren’t any obvious symptoms until the pressure gets very high, like 40 or 50, where the patient feels acute discomfort, headaches, or something else that they can’t identify the cause of. And at middle-pressures, the eye doesn’t turn red or hurt, and vision isn’t affected, either.
So you might ignore glaucoma at first?
That’s why it’s often called the “silent thief”.
What are the statistics regarding age?
If you’re over the age of 65, there’s a 20% chance you have glaucoma. Older than 70 – 30%. Older than 85 – 40%. With age, the outflow of liquid from the eye decreases. If there are cataracts, as well, clouded lenses exacerbate those problems. In short, glaucoma gets worse and more common with age.
Well, that’s not just the case with eyes. It’s our fate. So if I’m 40 and have no complaints, how often should I see you?
If your family has a history of glaucoma, at least once a year.
I wonder, by the way, if people really come to you for check-ups, or only when things are already bad.
Presbyopia usually starts around age 40, and this brings people to the ophthalmologist for glasses or other measures. But there are some who come for the first time at age 55, and already have advanced glaucoma.
Is it Russian-speaking people?
It’s inherent in all people, but more common in our own. Immigrants from Eastern Europe commonly get pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.
Pseudo…exfoliation? Sounds scary!
This is a special type of glaucoma that has very strange behavior. Flakes form in the eye which are deposited in the trabecular meshwork and cause cataracts and glaucoma. It is difficult to treat. Russian Jews, Poles, Lithuanians, and other Eastern Europeans need routine check-ups, because they are at a higher risk.
What is regular exfoliation glaucoma?
It’s caused by environmental exposure. For example, this is often the case with glass-blowers, who are exposed to infrared radiation that causes peeling of the lens capsule. With the Jews we mentioned before, it looks the same, as if they were blowing glass, as well.
I understand that not all Jews are glass-blowers, so why is that type of glaucoma called pseudoexfoliation? Is there a hypothesis to explain this phenomenon?
There are hypotheses, yes, but that’s another conversation. The disease acts simultaneously like an infection and hereditary condition, as well as an environmental one. People from certain geographical areas suffer from glaucoma more often, though, suggesting something about the water, air, or local food.
Understood, but how is it like an infectious disease? You can’t “catch” it.
Let’s say a husband has pseudoexfoliation in his right eye and his wife develops the same. They aren’t blooded relatives, but the disease manifests itself in both people. They’ve just lived in close contact for a long time.
Is it a “pseudoexfoliation pseudoinfection”?
Maybe not pseudo, because it’s still possible that it’s caused by a virus; we just don’t know. Take, for example, stomach cancer. It is the #1 killer in Japan, so the government requires mandatory testing. But Japanese that have come to the United States are at a much lower risk. Even Japanese that have lived here for a long time and moved back to Japan are at a lower risk. It isn’t the food, because they eat mostly the same here.
(to be continued)
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At Benjamin Eye Institute, we pride ourselves in staying at the forefront of innovative eye care solutions, consistently delivering high-quality services to our patients. One such advanced solution we offer is the Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS), an effective treatment method that has significantly transformed the management of glaucoma.
We're thrilled to announce that our practice is now offering same-day bilateral cataract surgery for well-qualified patients! This groundbreaking development has become possible due to remarkable advancements in cataract treatment technologies and their seamless integration. As a result, patients can now enjoy safer, faster, and more precise cataract surgeries with predictable outcomes. Let's dive into the details of this exciting new offering and how it is transforming the eye care industry.
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Good news for individuals who have already received a glaucoma diagnosis. You see as long as the retina and the brain are communicating with one another through signals. You lose your sight when the conversation ends. So what, it would seem? Additionally, there is an opportunity to develop medicines based on this process, perhaps with gene therapy. Due to the disease's progression, this will aid in maintaining vision.
There will be no loud statements that ophthalmology has high hopes for marijuana. But we will not deny some effect on intraocular pressure in glaucoma. For more details read on!
Glaucoma is an eye disease where the damage of the optic nerve takes place, casing high intraocular pressure. It is important to do a comprehensive eye exam every year to catch the symptoms of developing glaucoma early on. The earlier the diagnosis, the sooner you can start treatment.
