LASIK, CATARACTS & LENS IMPLANTS

Q: A:What is the difference open angle and closed angle glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve and can result in vision loss or blindness. It’s often called the “silent thief of sight” because many patients permanently lose vision, before they notice any symptoms. Within the eye, we have fluid also known as aqueous humor to keep our eye round and healthy. Since fluid is constantly being produced and old fluid removed, it has to be drained. There are two outlets in which this fluid drains from, the trabecular mesh work and uveoscleral outflow. The difference between which type of glaucoma you may have depends on which of these outlets are damaged. With open-angle glaucoma, the trabecular meshwork can become blocked, causing pressure to build up in the eye. Increased pressure causes optic nerve damage, leading to vision loss. With closed-angle glaucoma, both the uveoscleral drain and trabecular meshwork are blocked. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma, affecting about 70 million people world-wide. Unfortunately, it is also the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Closed-angle also known as angle-closure glaucoma, makes up less than 20 percent of world-wide glaucoma cases. Closed-Angle Glaucoma is usually more severe than open-angle glaucoma, and often caused by an injury to the iris, or colored part of the eye. Although there is no cure of glaucoma, there are many treatment options including prescription eyedrops and implants that can reduce your eye pressure, preventing further damage. If you have a family history of this disease or are considered high-risk, it’s important to schedule regular eye exams to ensure you don’t have glaucoma and to prevent permanent vision loss from occurring. Michael E. Rom, M.D.

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