Glaucoma Is 'Potentially Blinding': Here Are 8 Possible Causes

Editor’s Note: This article is intended for information purposes only. It does not substitute a doctor. It is vital to always consult a medically trained professional for advice that suits your needs best.

For many people, the eyes are the most important sensory organ. That's why eye care is important, and it includes knowing if you're at risk for diseases, such as glaucoma. You will then learn about the possible causes of glaucoma.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging a nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve, according to the United States National Eye Institute (NEI)

The Philippine Academy of Ophalmology (PAO) adds that the nerve cells slowly die, thus causing progressive damage to the optic nerve. This is the nerve responsible for sending visual information from the eye to the brain.

When this nerve is damaged, some signals from the eye are prevented from reaching the brain. As a result, there's a reduced field of vision and, if not managed properly, can lead to irreversible blindness.

"It is potentially blinding," Dr. Frances Hope Yap, an ophthalmologist based in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, tells Smart Parenting. "It is slowly progressive and those manifesting with loss of vision due to undetected glaucoma have irreversible damage to the nerve of the eye."

According to data from the Department of Health (DOH), 14  percent (46 ,501) of the estimated number of persons who are bilaterally blind (332,150) in 2017 was due to glaucoma.

Causes of glaucoma

The exact cause of glaucoma is still not known, or idiophatic, according to experts. But there are several factors that can heighten the risk for developing this eye disease.

Familial/hereditary

If there's a family member who has glaucoma, you may get it, too. But it's not 100 percent guaranteed. Still, you need to have your eyes screened as early detection is the best defense against glaucoma.

Aging

Starting at 40 years old, the eyes become more susceptible to glaucoma. That's why experts advise for people in such age group to have a regular eye check and screening for glaucoma.

Steroid induced

This means long term use of steroids, which are anti-inflammatory medicines used to treat a range of conditions. They have been found to cause changes in the aqueous fluid outflow system (trabecular meshwork, Schlemm’s canal, and the aqueous veins) resulting in increased eye pressure, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF).

GRF explains that the steroid response can occur in a few weeks, or in as little as a few days in highly sensitive people. It adds that if unrecognized, the steroid response can develop into steroid-induced glaucoma and cause permanent optic nerve damage.

High eye pressure

The pressure in your eye gets higher when fluid can’t drain normally out of the front of your eye, according to NEI. Such occurence increases your risk for glaucoma. Experts believe that when the pressure inside your eye gets too high, it can damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss.

High refractive errors

If there's a high refractive correction to be made for nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia), the risk for developing glaucoma increases. The association between myopia and glaucoma is well established, according to the medical review by the Department of Opthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

It points out population-based studies have shown that the odds of developing glaucoma rise with increasing severity of myopia.

Previous eye injury

When a blunt force compresses the eye, says the Glaucoma Research Foundation, the shearing forces can cause the trabecular meshwork to tear or bleed. This results in scarring of the trabecular meshwork, reducing its ability to drain fluid. Consequently, eye pressure elevates and may damage the nerve in the back of the eye, or glaucoma.

Uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes

In a medical review published in the British Medical Journal, hypertension was found to increase the risk of open-angle glaucoma (OAG). At the same time, unstable diastolic blood pressure can also increase the OAG incidence.

By the same token, diabetes doubles the chances of having glaucoma, according to the United States National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease.

Long-term use of birth control pills

Women who have been using birth control pills for three years or more are more prone to developing glaucoma, says a study conducted by researchers from the University of California San Francisco, Duke University School of Medicine and Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University in China.

Past studies have connected the low estrogen level of post menopausal women with increased glaucoma risk. In connection, the new study suggests that prolonged use of birth control pills results in low estrogen levels, resulting in a similar risk associated with other causes of glaucoma.

Read also: Long-Term Users of Birth Control Pills at Risk for Glaucoma