June 26, 2025 • 15 mins
Glaucoma: What is it? What causes it? What are the symptoms? In this episode, we explore the history of glaucoma, how we diagnose it, and the current treatment methods. Tune in to learn more!
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Resources:
The Glaucoma Foundation (US): https://glaucomafoundation.org/
Glaucoma UK: https://glaucoma.uk/
Glaucoma Australia: https://glaucoma.org.au/
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3520122/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4321651/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20372839
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20372846
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4212-glaucoma
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/glaucoma
https://eyewiki.org/History_of_Glaucoma
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/celebrities-chronic-eye-diseases
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-05-04-ca-758-story.html
*This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you suspect you have a medical condition, please seek out an opinion of a medical professional.*
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You woke up with what feels like the worst headache you have ever had in your life.
(00:04):
However, the pain in your eyes somehow makes that feel mild.
When you open your eyes, you notice that everything looks blurry, even with your glasses on.
You notice looking at the lamp on the table that it looks strange.
No matter how much you blink, the halo around it won't go away.
Because of all this, you decide to get your husband to drive you to the doctor.
(00:30):
Hello and Welcome to Anatomy Of Illness.
Today's episode is about glaucoma.
Before we get into the condition, we are going to start with the history.
So why do we know glaucoma exists?
We begin in ancient India with the Ayurvedic text Shushruta Samhita.
(00:53):
This is dated back to between 800 and 700 BC.
In this text, there is a description of acute angle closure glaucoma.
In this, it was known as Adhimantha.
Moving on to ancient Greece with Hippocrates.
This is between 460 to 370 BC.
He would write about how the color of the eye was important
(01:14):
when it came to diagnosis and prognostic significance.
Hippocrates wrote that pupils that have become glaukomenai or silvery
of the cognate of cyan are useless.
He would describe glaucoma as a disease of the elderly.
“To old men doth happen.
Moistness and humidities of the belly, eyes, and nostrils.
(01:35):
Dimnesse of sight, glaucoma, and dullness of hearing.
In the times of ancient Greeks, the glauka or glaukomenai description
was used as a label for the eyes often used to describe light eyes
rather than only people with glaucoma or some other form of eye disease.
Moving on to Rufus of Ephesus between 80 to 150 AD.
(01:57):
He would describe glaucoma as in his writings glaucomata are changes
in the crystalline fluid altering under the influence of moisture to glaucon.
All glaucomata are incurable.
Moving on to the medieval times and over to the Arabic physicians.
This is when the condition would be known as zarqaa.
This also would be used to describe light eyes.
(02:18):
Avicenna at the time would describe eyes that had immobile lenses when palpated.
The thought around this time is that it was caused by coagulation
or thickening of the humor inside of the eye, making it harder for the lens to move.
Moving to the 10th century with the Arab physician Mohammed ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Akfani.
He would describe a condition known as sida al-hadaqah,
(02:41):
meaning headache of the pupil.
This was associated with the ocular fluid becoming more opaque or less see-through.
Moving into the Renaissance, this is when we would start to dissect the eye.
Anyone else have the jarring violin music from Psycho in their head when they think
about pointy things near the eye and feel just a little sick?
No, just me?
Okay, then moving on.
(03:02):
The condition at this time was known as viriditas as it was not distinguished from cataracts.
This described the green hue of the pupil that was seen.
With this, they found eyes with viriditas were hard, not just the lens like they had suspected.
In 1622, Richard Bannister would describe eyes that had hardened without the glaucous appearance.
(03:23):
He called this condition gutta serena or black cataract,
writing about the hardened lens not being opaque like a normal cataract.
He would come to the conclusion the cause of the blindness was actually
a stopping of the nerve optics rather than a cloudy lens.
Now we move into the early 18th century.
This is where we would meet Michel Brisseau.
(03:45):
He would be the first to differentiate glaucoma and cataracts as two different diseases.
He would claim that glaucoma would occur much deeper in the eye.
In 1830, we would have the suggestion to use Belladonna
eye drops by William Mackenzie as a way of treating glaucoma.
Moving to 1851, this is when we would finally get some movement.
Why would this be?
(04:06):
Well, this is when Hermann von Helmholtz would invent the ophthalmoscope.
This would lead to Albert von Graefe to write his own notes about glaucoma.
And in 1854, with the starting of his own ophthalmology journal,
he would begin his classification of glaucoma.
He would speculate that chronic glaucoma was caused by increased intraocular pressure.
(04:27):
He also in 1857 would suggest a revolutionary treatment,
a surgery to remove a small part of the iris.
This is the original iridectomy and one of several reasons
he is the father of modern ophthalmology and glaucoma.
In 1861, Frans Donders and his PhD student,
Josef Haffmans would come up with the concept of glaucoma simplex.
(04:49):
You may know this as primary open angle glaucoma today.
In 1862, we would have our first suggestion for a medical treatment
to treat intraocular pressure.
This is the Calabar bean.
This was by Sir Thomas Fraser.
Also in 1862, Albert von Graefe would be back at it again with his contributions to glaucoma,
inventing the first tonometer to measure intraocular pressure.
(05:13):
Before this, it was done by putting your fingers on the upper eyelids.
This would most likely make for a very awkward appointment because do you make small talk?
Do you be quiet?
What do you do when someone's pushing into your eyelids?
Frans Donders also had a shot at making a tonometer.
And finally, in 1905, Hjalmar Schoitz would make a tonometer that was easy to use
(05:33):
and would be used consistently.
If you have been enjoying this episode and think someone else may enjoy it,
you should share it with them as it helps us grow.
What causes glaucoma?
Glaucoma is caused by damage to the optic nerve.
With worsening damage, this is when we begin to get blind spots.
What is often causing the damage is increased pressure in the eye.
This increased pressure is often related to the fluid inside of the eye.
(05:54):
This eye fluid is known as the aqueous humor.
When this fluid is unable to drain due to the drainage system in the eye not working properly,
or if there is too much fluid in the eye, this causes increased pressure in the eye.
The type of glaucoma will ultimately relate to how the optic nerve is being damaged.
So for open angle glaucoma, the cause of glaucoma is a drainage system that doesn't work properly.
(06:14):
Parts of it do not drain properly.
However, the iris and cornea drainage angle, which is where the fluid passes through initially,
this is still open and unaffected.
With acute angle closure glaucoma, this form has a bulging iris, which is part of the problem.
This bulge partially or completely blocks the drainage angle,
so the fluid isn't able to effectively circulate.
This leads to the pressure increase and damage to the optic nerve.
(06:37):
This form of glaucoma is a medical emergency.
Moving on to normal tension glaucoma.
This form is kind of a wild card when it comes to glaucoma.
The eye pressure in this type of glaucoma is actually healthy when compared with the other types.
The optic nerves in this kind may be more sensitive or may receive less blood flow than normal.
If this form is caused by limited blood flow, this can be due to something called atherosclerosis
(07:00):
or other fatty deposit buildups in the circulation in this area.
Atherosclerosis is a buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries.
Now with pigmentary glaucoma.
This is caused by small bits of pigment flaking off the iris.
This blocks or slows down the fluid drainage from the eye.
Glaucoma can also occur in children. In these cases,
(07:21):
the children can either be born with it or can develop it within the first few years of life.
Glaucoma in children can either be caused by a blockage
or an underlying medical condition that can affect the optic nerve.
What are the risk factors when it comes to developing glaucoma?
There are a wide array of factors that can increase your risk of developing these forms of glaucoma.
These include being over the age of 55, having a family history of glaucoma,
(07:45):
being of African, Asian, or Hispanic heritage, having certain medical conditions.
These include migraines, which we covered in episode 69,
high blood pressure, diabetes, which we covered in 26,
and also having sickle cell anemia, which was covered back in episode 15.
Having narrow drainage angles.
This increases the risk of angle closure glaucoma, taking corticosteroid medicines,
(08:07):
especially eye drops for long periods of time, having corneas that are thin in the center,
having either extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness,
having an eye injury or a history of certain types of eye surgery.
How do we diagnose glaucoma?
After reviewing your family history and your own personal medical history,
a doctor will run several medical tests.
These include measuring the eye pressure, which is the intraocular pressure.
(08:31):
This is through a test called tonometry.
Testing for damage to the optic nerve.
This is normally with two tests.
These are the dilated eye exam and imaging tests.
Visual field tests.
This test checks for areas of vision loss, measuring the corneal sickness.
This exam is called pachymetry, inspecting the drainage angle in the eye.
This process is called gonioscopy.
(08:52):
We'll get right into the symptoms and presentation right after this little break.
This podcast is supported by listeners like you on Buy Me A Coffee.
What symptoms won't you have if you had glaucoma?
(09:13):
Well, the symptoms will depend on what stage it is and the specific type of glaucoma.
So breaking down the symptoms related to the stage and the type of glaucoma.
Firstly, we have open angle glaucoma.
In the early stages of this type, there will be no symptoms.
As the time goes on, there will be a gradual appearance of patchy blind spots
at the side of your vision.
This is also called your peripheral vision.
(09:34):
As it progresses to later stages, you'll have difficulty seeing in the center of your vision.
There is also acute angle closure glaucoma.
This kind causes blurred vision, halos or colored rings around lights,
eye redness and severe eye pain, bad headaches, and even nausea or vomiting.
Moving on to normal tension glaucoma.
This type has no symptoms in the early stages.
(09:55):
Again, it gradually causes blurred vision.
Eventually in the later stages, it causes a loss of peripheral vision.
Now we have pigmentary glaucoma.
The symptoms of this one are halos around lights,
blurred vision when exercising and a gradual loss of peripheral vision.
Adults are not the only ones who get glaucoma.
Children can also have this condition.
So the symptoms of glaucoma in children are a dull or cloudy eye.
(10:17):
This is something you will find in infants and you can also find this in older children.
Infants may also blink more frequently or cry without producing tears.
Children with glaucoma will also suffer from blurred vision,
nearsightedness that will get progressively worse and headaches.
What should a doctor be aware of when it comes to glaucoma?
Doctors should be aware of acute ankle closure glaucoma.
This form of glaucoma is an emergency as it will cause loss of vision rapidly.
(10:40):
So if someone is seeing rings or halos around lights,
one or both of their eyes has become painful or red quickly and they have blurred vision,
they may be at risk of losing their vision if this is not treated quickly.
This form is a medical emergency as it can cause vision loss in three to seven days
if left untreated. All forms of glaucoma, if not managed, can cause vision loss.
(11:01):
So making sure that it is managed is key,
but this form causes a lot faster than the other forms.
How do we treat glaucoma?
There are several methods of treatment and management that can be used when it comes to
glaucoma. What will be used will really depend on the specific case and what needs to happen
with the eye. The first method of treatment is through eye drops.
There are several different kinds of eye drops that can be used for managing glaucoma.
(11:23):
These types of eye drops include prostaglandins. These types of medication help to reduce the
eye pressure by increasing the liquid flow out of the eye. Beta blockers.
This type reduces the production of fluid in the eye, which helps to reduce the eye pressure.
Alpha adrenergic agonists.
These also help to reduce the production of fluid that runs through the eye.
They also help to increase the outflow of fluid in the eye.
(11:46):
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. These reduce the production of fluid in the eye.
Rho kinase inhibitors. These lower the pressure in the eye by suppressing
the rho kinase enzymes in the eye, as these are responsible for the fluid increase.
Mitotic or cholinergic agents. These types of eye drops increase the outflow of fluid from the eye.
Eye drops aren't the only treatment used in the management of glaucoma.
(12:09):
In some cases, there is also the use of oral medications.
These are things like carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.
There are also surgical options when it comes to the management of glaucoma.
Some of these surgical options include laser therapy.
So this type of surgery is known as laser trabeculoplasty.
With this procedure, a small laser is used to improve
(12:29):
the drainage of the tissue where the cornea and iris meet.
Trabeculectomy. This is also known as filtering surgery.
This is where a small opening is made in the sclera, which is the white of the eye.
This allows for fluid to drain out drainage tubes.
This is a surgery where a doctor will insert a small tube in the eye
that will allow for fluid to drain out and lower the pressure in the eye.
(12:50):
Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
This is a less invasive procedure done to lower the pressure in the eye.
This can be combined with a cataract removal surgery.
When it comes to an acute angle closure glaucoma,
this is considered a medical emergency.
It requires urgent treatment.
This is often through medicine and medical procedures.
With this, they may do a procedure called a laser peripheral iridotomy.
(13:11):
This puts a small hole in the iris, which allows the fluid to flow through the iris
and decreases the pressure.
Are there any famous people with glaucoma?
Yes, there is Bono. He is the lead singer of the band U2.
He announced that he had been dealing with the condition for many years back in 2014.
Where can I find depictions of glaucoma in the media?
Interestingly enough, if you remember the TV show MacGyver,
(13:33):
in some of the later seasons of the show, the character Pete Thornton has glaucoma,
even in one episode having surgery for it.
This is actually because the actor who plays Pete,
Dana Elcar, is legally blind due to having, you guessed it, glaucoma.
So he asked for the condition to be incorporated into the show.
If you would like to check out our foundation for those in the US,
there is the Glaucoma Foundation.
(13:54):
They support research into glaucoma treatment and provide education on glaucoma,
as well as supporting those who have the condition
and are also at risk of developing glaucoma.
For those in the UK, there is Glaucoma UK.
They raise awareness of glaucoma to try and increase the amount of people
diagnosed early.
They support research into the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of glaucoma,
(14:14):
as well as supporting those currently living with glaucoma.
And for those in Australia, there is Glaucoma Australia.
They aim to improve the lives of those who have glaucoma
and also those who are at risk for the condition
through increasing early detection of glaucoma
and increasing research into the treatment of the condition.
If you want to check out the sources, social media links, or any other links,
you can head to anatomyofillness.com.
(14:34):
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more,
subscribe to be notified about our latest episodes.
If you would like to join our community, you can join us on Discord or Instagram.
Otherwise, stick around for the next episode.
Did you know that the eye actually has a blind spot
(15:00):
where the optic nerve crosses the retina?
Through the use of other stimuli, your brain is able to piece together
what is going on in that area of vision loss.
You woke up with what feels like the worst headache you have ever had in your life.
(00:04):
However, the pain in your eyes somehow makes that feel mild.
When you open your eyes, you notice that everything looks blurry, even with your glasses on.
You notice looking at the lamp on the table that it looks strange.
No matter how much you blink, the halo around it won't go away.
Because of all this, you decide to get your husband to drive you to the doctor.
(00:30):
Hello and Welcome to Anatomy Of Illness.
Today's episode is about glaucoma.
Before we get into the condition, we are going to start with the history.
So why do we know glaucoma exists?
We begin in ancient India with the Ayurvedic text Shushruta Samhita.
(00:53):
This is dated back to between 800 and 700 BC.
In this text, there is a description of acute angle closure glaucoma.
In this, it was known as Adhimantha.
Moving on to ancient Greece with Hippocrates.
This is between 460 to 370 BC.
He would write about how the color of the eye was important
(01:14):
when it came to diagnosis and prognostic significance.
Hippocrates wrote that pupils that have become glaukomenai or silvery
of the cognate of cyan are useless.
He would describe glaucoma as a disease of the elderly.
“To old men doth happen.
Moistness and humidities of the belly, eyes, and nostrils.
(01:35):
Dimnesse of sight, glaucoma, and dullness of hearing.
In the times of ancient Greeks, the glauka or glaukomenai description
was used as a label for the eyes often used to describe light eyes
rather than only people with glaucoma or some other form of eye disease.
Moving on to Rufus of Ephesus between 80 to 150 AD.
(01:57):
He would describe glaucoma as in his writings glaucomata are changes
in the crystalline fluid altering under the influence of moisture to glaucon.
All glaucomata are incurable.
Moving on to the medieval times and over to the Arabic physicians.
This is when the condition would be known as zarqaa.
This also would be used to describe light eyes.
(02:18):
Avicenna at the time would describe eyes that had immobile lenses when palpated.
The thought around this time is that it was caused by coagulation
or thickening of the humor inside of the eye, making it harder for the lens to move.
Moving to the 10th century with the Arab physician Mohammed ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Akfani.
He would describe a condition known as sida al-hadaqah,
(02:41):
meaning headache of the pupil.
This was associated with the ocular fluid becoming more opaque or less see-through.
Moving into the Renaissance, this is when we would start to dissect the eye.
Anyone else have the jarring violin music from Psycho in their head when they think
about pointy things near the eye and feel just a little sick?
No, just me?
Okay, then moving on.
(03:02):
The condition at this time was known as viriditas as it was not distinguished from cataracts.
This described the green hue of the pupil that was seen.
With this, they found eyes with viriditas were hard, not just the lens like they had suspected.
In 1622, Richard Bannister would describe eyes that had hardened without the glaucous appearance.
(03:23):
He called this condition gutta serena or black cataract,
writing about the hardened lens not being opaque like a normal cataract.
He would come to the conclusion the cause of the blindness was actually
a stopping of the nerve optics rather than a cloudy lens.
Now we move into the early 18th century.
This is where we would meet Michel Brisseau.
(03:45):
He would be the first to differentiate glaucoma and cataracts as two different diseases.
He would claim that glaucoma would occur much deeper in the eye.
In 1830, we would have the suggestion to use Belladonna
eye drops by William Mackenzie as a way of treating glaucoma.
Moving to 1851, this is when we would finally get some movement.
Why would this be?
(04:06):
Well, this is when Hermann von Helmholtz would invent the ophthalmoscope.
This would lead to Albert von Graefe to write his own notes about glaucoma.
And in 1854, with the starting of his own ophthalmology journal,
he would begin his classification of glaucoma.
He would speculate that chronic glaucoma was caused by increased intraocular pressure.
(04:27):
He also in 1857 would suggest a revolutionary treatment,
a surgery to remove a small part of the iris.
This is the original iridectomy and one of several reasons
he is the father of modern ophthalmology and glaucoma.
In 1861, Frans Donders and his PhD student,
Josef Haffmans would come up with the concept of glaucoma simplex.
(04:49):
You may know this as primary open angle glaucoma today.
In 1862, we would have our first suggestion for a medical treatment
to treat intraocular pressure.
This is the Calabar bean.
This was by Sir Thomas Fraser.
Also in 1862, Albert von Graefe would be back at it again with his contributions to glaucoma,
inventing the first tonometer to measure intraocular pressure.
(05:13):
Before this, it was done by putting your fingers on the upper eyelids.
This would most likely make for a very awkward appointment because do you make small talk?
Do you be quiet?
What do you do when someone's pushing into your eyelids?
Frans Donders also had a shot at making a tonometer.
And finally, in 1905, Hjalmar Schoitz would make a tonometer that was easy to use
(05:33):
and would be used consistently.
If you have been enjoying this episode and think someone else may enjoy it,
you should share it with them as it helps us grow.
What causes glaucoma?
Glaucoma is caused by damage to the optic nerve.
With worsening damage, this is when we begin to get blind spots.
What is often causing the damage is increased pressure in the eye.
This increased pressure is often related to the fluid inside of the eye.
(05:54):
This eye fluid is known as the aqueous humor.
When this fluid is unable to drain due to the drainage system in the eye not working properly,
or if there is too much fluid in the eye, this causes increased pressure in the eye.
The type of glaucoma will ultimately relate to how the optic nerve is being damaged.
So for open angle glaucoma, the cause of glaucoma is a drainage system that doesn't work properly.
(06:14):
Parts of it do not drain properly.
However, the iris and cornea drainage angle, which is where the fluid passes through initially,
this is still open and unaffected.
With acute angle closure glaucoma, this form has a bulging iris, which is part of the problem.
This bulge partially or completely blocks the drainage angle,
so the fluid isn't able to effectively circulate.
This leads to the pressure increase and damage to the optic nerve.
(06:37):
This form of glaucoma is a medical emergency.
Moving on to normal tension glaucoma.
This form is kind of a wild card when it comes to glaucoma.
The eye pressure in this type of glaucoma is actually healthy when compared with the other types.
The optic nerves in this kind may be more sensitive or may receive less blood flow than normal.
If this form is caused by limited blood flow, this can be due to something called atherosclerosis
(07:00):
or other fatty deposit buildups in the circulation in this area.
Atherosclerosis is a buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries.
Now with pigmentary glaucoma.
This is caused by small bits of pigment flaking off the iris.
This blocks or slows down the fluid drainage from the eye.
Glaucoma can also occur in children. In these cases,
(07:21):
the children can either be born with it or can develop it within the first few years of life.
Glaucoma in children can either be caused by a blockage
or an underlying medical condition that can affect the optic nerve.
What are the risk factors when it comes to developing glaucoma?
There are a wide array of factors that can increase your risk of developing these forms of glaucoma.
These include being over the age of 55, having a family history of glaucoma,
(07:45):
being of African, Asian, or Hispanic heritage, having certain medical conditions.
These include migraines, which we covered in episode 69,
high blood pressure, diabetes, which we covered in 26,
and also having sickle cell anemia, which was covered back in episode 15.
Having narrow drainage angles.
This increases the risk of angle closure glaucoma, taking corticosteroid medicines,
(08:07):
especially eye drops for long periods of time, having corneas that are thin in the center,
having either extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness,
having an eye injury or a history of certain types of eye surgery.
How do we diagnose glaucoma?
After reviewing your family history and your own personal medical history,
a doctor will run several medical tests.
These include measuring the eye pressure, which is the intraocular pressure.
(08:31):
This is through a test called tonometry.
Testing for damage to the optic nerve.
This is normally with two tests.
These are the dilated eye exam and imaging tests.
Visual field tests.
This test checks for areas of vision loss, measuring the corneal sickness.
This exam is called pachymetry, inspecting the drainage angle in the eye.
This process is called gonioscopy.
(08:52):
We'll get right into the symptoms and presentation right after this little break.
This podcast is supported by listeners like you on Buy Me A Coffee.
What symptoms won't you have if you had glaucoma?
(09:13):
Well, the symptoms will depend on what stage it is and the specific type of glaucoma.
So breaking down the symptoms related to the stage and the type of glaucoma.
Firstly, we have open angle glaucoma.
In the early stages of this type, there will be no symptoms.
As the time goes on, there will be a gradual appearance of patchy blind spots
at the side of your vision.
This is also called your peripheral vision.
(09:34):
As it progresses to later stages, you'll have difficulty seeing in the center of your vision.
There is also acute angle closure glaucoma.
This kind causes blurred vision, halos or colored rings around lights,
eye redness and severe eye pain, bad headaches, and even nausea or vomiting.
Moving on to normal tension glaucoma.
This type has no symptoms in the early stages.
(09:55):
Again, it gradually causes blurred vision.
Eventually in the later stages, it causes a loss of peripheral vision.
Now we have pigmentary glaucoma.
The symptoms of this one are halos around lights,
blurred vision when exercising and a gradual loss of peripheral vision.
Adults are not the only ones who get glaucoma.
Children can also have this condition.
So the symptoms of glaucoma in children are a dull or cloudy eye.
(10:17):
This is something you will find in infants and you can also find this in older children.
Infants may also blink more frequently or cry without producing tears.
Children with glaucoma will also suffer from blurred vision,
nearsightedness that will get progressively worse and headaches.
What should a doctor be aware of when it comes to glaucoma?
Doctors should be aware of acute ankle closure glaucoma.
This form of glaucoma is an emergency as it will cause loss of vision rapidly.
(10:40):
So if someone is seeing rings or halos around lights,
one or both of their eyes has become painful or red quickly and they have blurred vision,
they may be at risk of losing their vision if this is not treated quickly.
This form is a medical emergency as it can cause vision loss in three to seven days
if left untreated. All forms of glaucoma, if not managed, can cause vision loss.
(11:01):
So making sure that it is managed is key,
but this form causes a lot faster than the other forms.
How do we treat glaucoma?
There are several methods of treatment and management that can be used when it comes to
glaucoma. What will be used will really depend on the specific case and what needs to happen
with the eye. The first method of treatment is through eye drops.
There are several different kinds of eye drops that can be used for managing glaucoma.
(11:23):
These types of eye drops include prostaglandins. These types of medication help to reduce the
eye pressure by increasing the liquid flow out of the eye. Beta blockers.
This type reduces the production of fluid in the eye, which helps to reduce the eye pressure.
Alpha adrenergic agonists.
These also help to reduce the production of fluid that runs through the eye.
They also help to increase the outflow of fluid in the eye.
(11:46):
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. These reduce the production of fluid in the eye.
Rho kinase inhibitors. These lower the pressure in the eye by suppressing
the rho kinase enzymes in the eye, as these are responsible for the fluid increase.
Mitotic or cholinergic agents. These types of eye drops increase the outflow of fluid from the eye.
Eye drops aren't the only treatment used in the management of glaucoma.
(12:09):
In some cases, there is also the use of oral medications.
These are things like carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.
There are also surgical options when it comes to the management of glaucoma.
Some of these surgical options include laser therapy.
So this type of surgery is known as laser trabeculoplasty.
With this procedure, a small laser is used to improve
(12:29):
the drainage of the tissue where the cornea and iris meet.
Trabeculectomy. This is also known as filtering surgery.
This is where a small opening is made in the sclera, which is the white of the eye.
This allows for fluid to drain out drainage tubes.
This is a surgery where a doctor will insert a small tube in the eye
that will allow for fluid to drain out and lower the pressure in the eye.
(12:50):
Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
This is a less invasive procedure done to lower the pressure in the eye.
This can be combined with a cataract removal surgery.
When it comes to an acute angle closure glaucoma,
this is considered a medical emergency.
It requires urgent treatment.
This is often through medicine and medical procedures.
With this, they may do a procedure called a laser peripheral iridotomy.
(13:11):
This puts a small hole in the iris, which allows the fluid to flow through the iris
and decreases the pressure.
Are there any famous people with glaucoma?
Yes, there is Bono. He is the lead singer of the band U2.
He announced that he had been dealing with the condition for many years back in 2014.
Where can I find depictions of glaucoma in the media?
Interestingly enough, if you remember the TV show MacGyver,
(13:33):
in some of the later seasons of the show, the character Pete Thornton has glaucoma,
even in one episode having surgery for it.
This is actually because the actor who plays Pete,
Dana Elcar, is legally blind due to having, you guessed it, glaucoma.
So he asked for the condition to be incorporated into the show.
If you would like to check out our foundation for those in the US,
there is the Glaucoma Foundation.
(13:54):
They support research into glaucoma treatment and provide education on glaucoma,
as well as supporting those who have the condition
and are also at risk of developing glaucoma.
For those in the UK, there is Glaucoma UK.
They raise awareness of glaucoma to try and increase the amount of people
diagnosed early.
They support research into the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of glaucoma,
(14:14):
as well as supporting those currently living with glaucoma.
And for those in Australia, there is Glaucoma Australia.
They aim to improve the lives of those who have glaucoma
and also those who are at risk for the condition
through increasing early detection of glaucoma
and increasing research into the treatment of the condition.
If you want to check out the sources, social media links, or any other links,
you can head to anatomyofillness.com.
(14:34):
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more,
subscribe to be notified about our latest episodes.
If you would like to join our community, you can join us on Discord or Instagram.
Otherwise, stick around for the next episode.
Did you know that the eye actually has a blind spot
(15:00):
where the optic nerve crosses the retina?
Through the use of other stimuli, your brain is able to piece together
what is going on in that area of vision loss.
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