Glaucoma is a disease provoked by the buildup of intraocular pressure (IOP) within the eye. The buildup damages the eye’s optic nerve, leading to vision loss.

Glaucoma is chronic and doesn’t present symptoms. By the time you notice changes in your vision, the optic nerve may have already been damaged. The risk factors of glaucoma include:

• Having a relative with the disease
• Being 40 years and above
• Having a history of eye trauma
• Race (African American or Latino/Hispanic descent)
• Having corneas that are thinner than normal
• Your eye pressure is very high

There are varied types of glaucoma, but the most common type is open-angle glaucoma. Other types include low or normal-tension glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, and congenital glaucoma.

Secondary glaucoma can result from medical complications, advanced cataracts, eye surgery complications, eye tumors, eye injuries, or eye inflammation (uveitis).

Pigmentary glaucoma is caused by slow fluid drainage resulting from the meshwork’s blockage due to the iris’s flake-off. The severe form of glaucoma known as neovascular glaucoma develops from diabetes.

Glaucoma has no cure, but its progression can be stopped when closely monitored. Detecting and treating the disease early can help lower the IOP and prevent vision loss.

Here are three treatment options for glaucoma:

• iStent treatment uses stents to create access to vessel flows. This lowers the pressure in the eye. It opens clogged blood vessels by permanently opening the blockage to improve the natural outflow of the eye.
• Kahook Dual Blade® (KDB): uses precise incisions to release intraocular pressure and treat glaucoma using a high-tech blade and may performed during cataract surgery when needed.
• Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT): SLT is a laser treatment that helps the eye to drain fluid and minimize the IOP. It is a painless procedure with high rates of success.