The total number of individuals with glaucoma in the United States is estimated to be approximately three million, but as the glaucoma Research Foundation points out, half of those with glaucoma have yet to be identified. This is why it can be crucial to get regular eye checkups as a senior. The earlier a senior finds signs of glaucoma, the better luck a doctor has at preventing it from happening.
If a senior has been avoiding these checkups because they have no way of getting to appointments and you’re not there to help, it is time to look for home care assistance. This is the best way to ensure your seniors stay healthy even when you cannot be with them. Home care assistance can help your senior parents get to and from a critical doctor visit.
There are several treatment options available, and it’s important to understand what you’re dealing with, so you can get ahead of the condition before significant vision loss and blindness occur. Let’s look at the many forms of glaucoma, how they occur, and how to effectively try to avoid developing it.
What Exactly is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an umbrella name for a series of disorders that arise when your optic nerve is injured, lowering the quality of your vision. There is an increase in pressure within your eye, which affects the optic nerve, the major transmitter of data collected from your eye to your brain. The nerve is located in the rear of the eyeball. There are two types of glaucoma depending on how much pressure builds in your eye and how the pressure accumulates in your eye.
What Causes Glaucoma?
Optic nerve injury, produced by a buildup of pressure in the eye, is one of the fundamental causes of glaucoma. The increased pressure is produced by fluid that normally runs through the eye, not being able to leave at the same pace as before.
The Symptoms Of Glaucoma
The symptoms of glaucoma vary based on the kind of glaucoma you have. However, since angle-closure glaucoma develops slowly—typically over a few years—the symptoms are sometimes difficult to detect. Here are some symptoms of open-angle glaucoma, which can develop quickly.
Side Vision Can Go Blind
You may acquire blind patches or splotchy vision in your peripheral vision, and ultimately it can be completely missing. This results in tunnel vision. It can be one of the first signs glaucoma is developing.
Blindness
The final stage of glaucoma is complete blindness. This is the most extreme case of glaucoma.
How To Treat Glaucoma
Because open-angle glaucoma develops over time, all of the symptoms will not strike you all at once and take away your eyesight. This enables treatment regimens to begin years in advance, allowing you to counteract the accumulation of pressure in your eye before it causes too much harm. Here are a few things that may help treat glaucoma:
- Eye Drops– This is one of the most popular treatment plans for glaucoma.
- Medication– Some treatments include pills that a senior will take orally each day.
- Surgery– A few seniors may need to get surgery to open up the angle or help the fluid ducts.
If you are considering home care assistance in Portage, MI, for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at Fresh Perspective Home Care at (269) 329-4717. We are here to help!
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