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5 facts about Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.

Normally, the fluid, called aqueous humor, flows out of your eye through a mesh-like channel. If this channel gets blocked, the liquid builds up. That’s what causes glaucoma. According to research, glaucoma is a hereditary disease; it’s passed from parents to children.

Less common causes include a blunt or chemical injury to your eye, severe eye infection, blocked blood vessels inside the eye, and inflammatory conditions.

Here are five things everyone should know about glaucoma.

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  • Glaucoma is an eye disease that is often associated with elevated intraocular pressure, in which damage to the eye (optic) nerve can lead to loss of vision and even blindness.
  • Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.
  • Glaucoma usually causes no symptoms early in its course, at which time it can only be diagnosed by regular eye examinations (screenings with the frequency of examination based on age and the presence of other risk factors).
  • The two main types of glaucoma are open-angle glaucoma, which has several variants and is a long duration (chronic) condition, and angle-closure glaucoma, which may be either a sudden (acute) condition or a chronic disease.
  • Glaucoma is usually treated with eyedrops, although laser treatment and surgery can also be used. Most cases can be controlled well with these treatments, thereby preventing further loss of vision.

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