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Bagan Strinden Vision

Can Eye Injuries Be a Cause of Glaucoma?

Can an eye injury cause glaucoma?

Primary open-angle glaucoma, the most prevalent form of glaucoma, often appears slowly and may go undetected until significant vision loss occurs. You can often prevent further vision loss with medication and surgery. Avoid this form of glaucoma by scheduling regular comprehensive eye examinations; such exams can detect early warning signs for this form. The answer to whether eye injuries can be a cause of glaucoma is that it is a secondary cause of glaucoma.

Does eye strain lead to glaucoma?

Understanding Traumatic Glaucoma

Blunt injuries typically result in temporary increases in eye pressure due to shear force’s shearing effect on the eyeball, which is managed through reduced inflammation and scarring prevention measures. However, there are some risk associated with Glaucoma, including penetrating injuries that may damage tissue and block drainage canals, causing longer-term rises that damage optic nerves and lead to blindness.

Traumatic Glaucoma Symptoms

Glaucoma symptoms typically include the progressive loss of peripheral vision (the condition is known as peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS)), which may accompany blurry or blind spots within the field of vision and pain. If you suspect you have secondary glaucoma, you must see an eye doctor as soon as possible, as irreparable damage could result.

Most cases of glaucoma involve open-angle glaucoma, in which fluid doesn’t drain effectively from your eye. However, some individuals can have normal-pressure or low-tension glaucoma that affects them at lower eye pressure levels than expected.

Consult Your Eye Surgeon/Doctor

Your doctor may suggest some other eye surgeries including LASIK for its benefits. At a comprehensive eye exam, your doctor will use a tonometer to monitor the pressure inside your eyes and examine their angle structures with a gonioscope lens.

They may also photograph retina and optic nerve structures while scanning laser images from within your eye for possible signs of glaucoma; test visual acuity and measure peripheral (side) vision strength are also included in these exams.

Can traumatic glaucoma be cured?

Angle Recession Glaucoma

Ocular trauma from eye injuries can result in glaucoma surgery by disrupting drainage canals in the eyes, which may form scar tissue that blocks fluid flow and increases eye pressure, damaging optic nerves and leading to vision loss – this condition is known as angle recession glaucoma.

How to prevent glaucoma after injury?

Symptoms

Angle recession glaucoma often shares similar symptoms as open-angle glaucoma, including elevated eye pressure and difficulty seeing fine detail. Still, it may manifest much later, sometimes as soon as six months post-injury.

Angle Recession Glaucoma Treatment

Treatment for hypertensive eye conditions often entails taking medications to lower eye pressure, such as beta-blockers, alpha agonists, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Pilocarpine should also be avoided as this increases intraocular pressure by decreasing uveoscleral outflow. Additional options might include antidepressants or cyclodialysis.

Glaucoma of this type is relatively rare and difficult to treat. Therefore, regular eye exams should be undertaken with an experienced doctor. The doctor will perform tests such as visual field checks to detect any vision loss and may perform other measures to measure eye pressure.

Open-Angle Glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma typically occurs slowly over time and can result in blind spots in your vision as the optic nerve gets damaged for reasons not fully understood by doctors. It is usually when eye pressure becomes too great to manage by this area of your nervous system.

Why Does Open-Angle Glaucoma Occur?

This damage occurs when eye pressure reaches too great for this part of the eye to handle. Pressure increases in the eye when fluid cannot drain out correctly from within it. This could happen because the drainage angle formed by the iris and cornea is too narrow, or some part of its drain doesn’t function correctly.

Types

Other types of open-angle glaucoma include exfoliative and neovascular. Exfoliation involves swelling up your lens and blocking drainage canals, while in neovascular cases, abnormal blood vessels develop on both the iris and drainage canals.

Blows to the eyes may cause angle-recession glaucoma, in which part of the drainage canal closes off, such as when an injury squints the cornea or affects other structures in front of your eye. It could develop immediately post-injury or after many years have passed since your initial incident.

Traumatic glaucoma causes

Treatment

Glaucoma treatment can help stop or slow vision loss from glaucoma. Your doctor will prescribe medicated eye drops that decrease fluid production or facilitate drainage better in your eye. You will also need regular exams with an ophthalmologist to monitor pressure changes in the eye.

Closed-Angle Glaucoma

Closed-angle glaucoma occurs when the drainage angle between the iris and cornea becomes blocked. This leads to a sudden increase in eye pressure that damages the optic nerve at the back of the eye.

Although less common than open-angle glaucoma, closed-angle can often be more severe and requires treatment immediately if symptoms like blurred vision or tunnel vision appear. Consult your physician immediately if this condition presents itself to you.

Your doctor can diagnose closed-angle glaucoma by examining your eyes and measuring their intraocular pressure (IOP). In some cases, imaging tests such as optical coherence tomography or ocular ultrasound may also be performed to measure structures within your eye to assess their health status.

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Types

Glaucoma of this type is often caused by blunt trauma to the eye but can also be due to severe nearsightedness, previous eye surgery, or infection. Certain medications used for sinus or cold symptoms, stomach and digestive issues, or as part of treatment for sinusitis may contribute.

Symptoms

People living with glaucoma often don’t experience early warning signs, delaying medical attention. To detect and control early symptoms before experiencing any, regular dilated eye exams with your eye doctor are crucial to detect early-stage glaucoma and get it under control before it becomes an issue.

Conclusion

Eye injuries can indeed be a secondary cause of glaucoma, leading to various forms, such as traumatic glaucoma and angle recession glaucoma. By monitoring eye pressure and assessing optic nerve health, eye care professionals can provide timely interventions to preserve vision and improve outcomes for individuals at risk of this potentially debilitating condition.

Call Bagan Strinden Vision For Glaucoma Treatment & More

Experience top-quality eye care with Bagan Strinden Vision! From glaucoma treatment and general eye care to eyelid procedures, laser eye surgery, and cataract surgery, we are dedicated to preserving and enhancing your vision. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and see the world more clearly!

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