Acute Glaucoma Is A Very Threatening Eye Disease

February 23, 2009 by AMED  
Filed under Eye Care Articles

eyesight

Acute glaucoma is a disease that affects the eyes and it is one of the major causes of blindness in the United States. There are four types of glaucoma and all of them can wreak havoc with your eyesight. Most people who are diagnosed with glaucoma have had no symptoms; this is why it is important to have regular eye exams. This disease affects eye health and is relentless unless stopped.

There are four types of glaucoma, but acute glaucoma is different in that it can develop suddenly and do serious damage in a short amount of time. It usually works by causing pressure to be increased within the eye. Generally, this happens slowly and the person is not aware of what is going on. In this type of glaucoma the pressure increases suddenly and this increase in pressure is very painful. The pain can become so intense that it can make a person vomit and even lose consciousness. This is very serious and usually requires a trip to the emergency room. An eye doctor needs to be consulted immediately and if treatment is delayed, then eyesight can be permanently destroyed.

Acute glaucoma is extremely serious; however, if there is any positive aspect to this disease, then that would have to be that with this type there is immediate knowledge that a problem is present. With other forms of glaucoma, many times the individual has no idea that they have this eye disease. The other eye picks up the slack in a sense, and this allows a person to go on without having any idea of the damage that is being done. If this damage is not discovered in a timely manner, then the person can eventually go blind. The bad part about glaucoma, aside from the fact that is a insidious, is the fact that once the damage is done it cannot be reversed. So it is imperative to discover glaucoma as early as possible. Many of the glaucoma attacks occur when a person is under stress or in a darkened room. In the dark and when under stress, the pupils dilate, which causes greater contact between the eyes lens and the iris. There are some drugs that can cause pupils to dilate and bring on an attack, such as anti-depressants, antihistamines, nausea medications and some cold medications.

The fact is that glaucoma is a very serious eye disease. Many people do not realize how serious glaucoma can be. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. However, if it is caught early, then it can be treated and in most cases vision can be saved. Acute glaucoma has immediate symptoms that cannot be ignored.