Why is my vision blurred and my eyes hurt? Is it Glaucoma?
Vision loss is a symptom of great concern. Many of the causes can be very serious medical conditions some of which can lead to loss of sight if there is no medical intervention. Even if the loss of sight is temporary, it should not be ignored as it may due to an underlying medical condition such as a stroke.
It is important to always seek advice from a medical professional should there be any change in your vision.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is Singapore’s most common cause of permanent blindness. Many call it the “ Silent Thief of Sight” because it can steal your vision away without you even knowing it – quietly, painlessly and irreversibly.
Glaucoma is a disease of the most important structure in your eye: the optic nerve – an ‘electric cable’ which transmits signals from the eyeball to the brain. This allows you to see.
What causes glaucoma?
In glaucoma, the optic nerve is damaged from a variety of ways. Your eye doctor (ophthalmologist) is the best person to explain what caused this is in you.
What are the signs & symptoms of Glaucoma?
There are several types of glaucoma and these can be broadly classified into 2 classes:
- Chronic Glaucoma: Causes very slow and painless reduction in vision.
- Acute Glaucoma: Causes severe, sudden red eye redness, pain & blurring of vision.
Unfortunately, most glaucoma patients suffer (unknowingly) from the chronic form, so they probably won’t know that they have glaucoma until it is quite advanced.
By the time glaucoma causes any visual problems, there is already severe damage to your optic nerve, that is why regular eye check ups are so important for older people and families of glaucoma patients.
How is glaucoma diagnosed?
Your eye doctor may be the only person who can tell if you have glaucoma. He or she can do so in the following ways.
- By checking your eyeball pressure
- By examining the appearance of your optic nerve
- By using a computer to test your “ visual field”
How will my doctor treat my glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a lifelong disease. Once diagnosed, a patient requires strict follow up with his eye doctor for the rest of his life. Your eye doctor will usually focus treatment on lowering your eyeball pressure, by one or more of the following methods:
- EYE DROPS
For most people, eye drops are sufficient in controlling the disease. They work in a number of ways, but mostly by lowering your eyeball pressure.
- LASER TREATMENT
Laser can be used to treat certain types of glaucoma. It is also used to prevent the acute form of glaucoma in some patients.
- SURGERY
Eye surgery is always the last resort when the above methods have failed to limit damage to the patient’s optic nerve.
The goal of treatment is to prevent further damage to the optic nerve and to preserve remaining vision.
How can I prevent glaucoma?
Unfortunately, glaucoma is not a preventable disease. The best way to combat this is to catch it early. You can do this by going for regular eye checks, especially if you belong to one of the following groups:
- You are over 50 years of age and you have not had your eyes checked regularly, especially if you are female and Chinese
- Someone in your family already has glaucoma
- You have diabetes or high blood pressure
- You are very short sighted or long sighted