How do I know if I have Glaucoma? Early care is the key

Glaucoma is a disease in which the optic nerve (responsible for carrying information from the eye to the brain) loses its fibers: chronically, progressively and irreversibly, which can cause blindness.

Glaucoma is known as the silent thief of vision. In early stages, it does not present symptoms or signs that make us be alert that something is wrong, and it can lead to irreversible vision loss.

The key to avoid blindness due to glaucoma is to perform check-ups to determine if we may suffer from this disease.

Not all the factors influencing glaucoma are known yet, however, the most common risk factors are:

• Age over 40 years old
• Family history of glaucoma
• Hispanic, Asian or Afro-descendant ethnicity
• Ocular alterations such as elevated intraocular pressure, alterations in the shape of the eye (detectable only during an ophthalmologic examination).
• History of ocular trauma, use of oral, topical or nasal steroids, etc.
• History of myopia or hyperopia.
• History of systemic diseases such as diabetes, arterial hypertension, arterial hypotension, migraine, rheumatologic problems (such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.).

An annual checkup is a priority in order to detect, early, not only glaucoma but also several diseases, but in the presence of any of these antecedents, an ophthalmologic checkup is even more important because this is the first step to detect if it is possible to have glaucoma.

In the consultation the ophthalmologist -he or she- will determine the state of our vision, will take the intraocular pressure, will evaluate the state of the "iridocorneal angle" (the natural drainage system of the liquid that is produced inside the eye). He will also evaluate the fundus of the eye and will determine if it is necessary to perform the tests. If there is any data of "suspected glaucoma", an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is performed, which gives details of how the optic nerve and its fibers are, as well as the area of best vision or macula. The Visual Field Examination helps us to know the function of the nerve, also in some cases the Corneal Pachymetry must be determined, to evaluate the thickness of the cornea, another risk factor for glaucoma. These studies help us to detect if we have the disease or if we are only "glaucoma suspects" and thus be able to know if we require treatment for the disease or only medical surveillance.

Early ophthalmologic examination is the basis for the early detection of Glaucoma, because being an incurable disease, diagnosing it on time and establishing the treatment, offers a better prognosis and a lower probability of complications.

Dr. Karla Olivia Van Dick Sanchez
Physician, Surgeon, Ophthalmologist
Glaucoma Subspecialist