3 Potential Signs of Glaucoma (or Other Vision Related Problems) and How the Elder Care Provider near Cumming, GA Can Make a Difference
There are generally a number of potential risk factors that could indicate that an elderly individual relying on elder care should be checked out by their eye doctor on a regular basis for glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition in the eye where intraocular pressure increases on the optic nerve. If it is not treated it can cause permanent and total blindness.
There are a number of risk factors, including a family history of glaucoma, diabetes, a history of problems with regard to elevated intraocular pressure within the eye, a high degree of myopia or nearsightedness, or history of injuries to the eyes.
There are also a couple of different types of glaucoma, including open-angle glaucoma which is considered a chronic form, or angle closure glaucoma, which can occur suddenly or over a long period of time.
Glaucoma generally affects both eyes, but it can certainly impact one eye more rapidly than the other.
Potential Signs of Glaucoma
Many patients who end up being diagnosed with some form of glaucoma, either open-angle glaucoma or chronic angle-closure glaucoma basically won’t show any real symptoms in the earlier aspects of this disease. However, there are certain symptoms that can present themselves as the disease progresses.
Vision field loss.
Vision field loss will usually occur later during the course of the disease. This is where patients experience a loss of peripheral vision.
Eye pain.
Those individuals who have been or might be diagnosed with acute angle-closure glaucoma will often experience the rapid onset of severe eye pain. It can also be associated with headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
Red eyes.
For patients with chronic angle-closure glaucoma, their eyes may appear normal to friends and family, but they may have slightly reddening of the eyes from a chronic use of eye drops. The use of eye drops may be to help alleviate vision blurring and other side effects that can be caused by glaucoma.
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and for those who provide any type of elderly healthcare for a patient, being aware of these potential signs of glaucoma can be essential at helping to prevent permanent vision loss. The longer that the patient goes without treatment, the more the chances increase that they will eventually have some type of permanent damage to their eyes.
It is best to encourage the elder care patient to see his or her eye care professional as soon as possible and at least once every year to check for glaucoma or other vision related problems that may occur.
