Did you know that many people with ocular hypertension or glaucoma are unaware that they have these potentially sight-stealing conditions? By staying informed about the two eye conditions, you can take the necessary steps to protect your vision.
Keep reading to learn more about the differences between glaucoma and ocular hypertension and how you can safeguard your sight!
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a term used to describe multiple eye conditions that cause optic nerve damage. The optic nerve plays a crucial role in your vision.
It relays visual information from your eyes to your brain, enabling you to see. Damage to the optic nerve can be linked to high eye pressure.
Your eye continuously produces a fluid called aqueous humor. As new fluid enters your eye, the same amount of old fluid leaves through the drainage angle, maintaining normal eye pressure or intraocular pressure (IOP).
The drainage angle is the area of the eye where the iris and cornea meet. If the aqueous humor can’t drain out of your eye efficiently due to a blockage in the drainage channel, it accumulates in the front part of your eye, causing high intraocular pressure, known as IOP.
Increased eye pressure can damage your optic nerve, leading to irreparable vision loss and blindness. Glaucoma is not always a result of high eye pressure.
In fact, you can develop glaucoma even with normal eye pressure.
What is Ocular Hypertension?
Higher than normal eye pressure without optic nerve damage is known as ocular hypertension which can occur if the aqueous humor doesn’t drain as it should.
As a result, fluid can build up and increase IOP. While ocular hypertension doesn’t always cause glaucoma, it increases your risk of developing the sight-threatening disease.
It’s important to note that not everyone with an eye pressure reading above 20 will be diagnosed with ocular hypertension. If your eye pressure continues to be elevated over a series of appointments, your eye doctor may consider this diagnosis.
What is the Importance of Eye Pressure Checks?
Early on, most forms of glaucoma don’t cause noticeable symptoms. By the time patients experience any symptoms, it’s usually in the advanced stages of the disease when considerable and irreversible damage and vision loss have already occurred.
Like glaucoma, ocular hypertension doesn’t have any symptoms. The only way to catch glaucoma early and prevent significant optic nerve damage is through regular eye exams.
Frequent eye exams also help rule out or detect early signs of optic nerve damage from ocular hypertension. Prompt detection can allow for timely intervention when the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension is most effective.
How are Glaucoma and Hypertension Treated?
Although ocular hypertension and glaucoma can’t be cured, timely treatment can help slow progression and prevent significant vision loss. Treatment aims to lower IOP and slow or even stop damage to the optic nerve, preserving your sight.
Ocular Hypertension Treatment
If you have ocular hypertension without optic nerve damage, no treatment may be required. Instead, your eye doctor will likely suggest monitoring your condition with frequent check-ups.
However, if your eye pressure is too high, they may prescribe eye drops or recommend laser therapy to decrease your IOP and reduce your risk of getting glaucoma. Additionally, they may suggest lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy diet, engaging in moderate aerobic exercise, and stress management.
Glaucoma Treatment
Glaucoma treatment can’t restore vision already lost, but it can lower your IOP and save your remaining sight. Eye drops are usually the first line of glaucoma treatment.
Your eye doctor may prescribe more than one type of eye drop to successfully reduce your IOP. In some instances, you may require laser therapy to improve fluid outflow from your eye and decrease intraocular pressure.
Surgical procedures are also available for patients with severe glaucoma.
Can’t remember when you last had an eye exam? Schedule your appointment at Simone Eye Center in Warren or Macomb Township today to safeguard your vision from sight-threatening conditions.
