What Is Open-angle Glaucoma?

Open-angle glaucoma is a disease that can lead to blindness if not treated in time. The problem is that it is not always detected, as it does not necessarily cause any symptoms.

Open-angle glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve, causing vision loss in the field of vision. In many cases, it increases the pressure in the eye, but not always.

There are open-angle glaucoma as well as narrow-angle glaucoma, the former being more common. According to experts, open-angle glaucoma occurs in 90% of cases. Depending on the geographical location, it is either the second or fourth largest cause of blindness in the world.

Open-angle glaucoma is also called primary or chronic glaucoma. It is a progressive disease that does not necessarily produce symptoms and thus may be latent.

Possible causes of open-angle glaucoma

In most cases, blocked tear ducts may be behind open-angle glaucoma. This can lead to increased intraocular pressure as well as damage to the optic nerve. 

The tear duct system of the eye forms an angle from the iris to the cornea. From there, it connects out through the tear duct. In this disease, the tear ducts do not work properly because the ducts are blocked or too narrow.

Because fluids cannot escape from the tear ducts, intraocular pressure rises, damaging the optic nerve. Thus, it negatively affects the patient’s vision.

Some optic nerves are more sensitive to intraocular pressure than others. Africans are at higher risk of developing this disease, as well as people over the age of 60, especially those of Latin descent who have a family history of the disease. Diabetics are also at increased risk for open-angle glaucoma .

Main symptoms

Open-angle glaucoma develops very slowly and silently. In most cases, a person thinks something is wrong when they suffer from vision loss. By this point, the optic nerve is already badly damaged.

The patient may lose peripheral or lateral vision. When open-angle glaucoma is advanced, it affects the accuracy and sharpness of vision. The disease is usually detected by routine examination.

Diagnosis of open-angle glaucoma

It would be important to be able to detect open-angle glaucoma at an early stage before the optic nerve damage has progressed far. Regular eye exams help make the diagnosis. Persons at risk should undergo periodic inspections.

The frequency of inspections should be increased according to age as follows:

• Before the age of 40 : inspection every two or four years.
• 40-54 years : inspection once a year or once every three years.
• 55-64 years : inspection once a year or once every two years.
• Over the age of 65 : inspection every six months or once a year.

Experts may order various tests if they suspect the possibility of open-angle glaucoma. The most common tests are:

• Tonometry. This test measures the pressure inside the eye or eyepiece, or IOP.
• Ophthalmoscopy. In this test, the doctor looks behind the eye and examines the optic nerve to find out about any damage.
• Perimeter. The visual field test helps the physician determine the extent to which open-angle glaucoma affects a patient’s vision.

• Gonioscopy. The test shows whether the angle between the iris and the cornea is open and wide or narrow and closed.
• Pakymetry. This test measures the thickness of the cornea of ​​the eye.

The ophthalmologist may prescribe all or some of the above tests to the patient. Open-angle glaucoma is sometimes difficult to diagnose.

Treatment options

Treatment for open-angle glaucoma aims to reduce the pressure in the ocular eyepiece. It is not possible to repair damage to the optic nerve. For this reason, early diagnosis and treatment play a very important role.

There are three types of treatment for open-angle glaucoma:

• Medication, usually eye drops. Thanks to them, the eyes produce less fluids.

• Laser surgery. Such surgery helps the tear ducts of the eyes to function better or reduce the fluid produced by the eyes. This is an outpatient procedure that usually helps to effectively reduce intraocular pressure.
• Traditional eye surgery. In this surgery, the surgeon directs the fluids produced by the eye to flow again to normalize the function of the tear ducts. The surgeon can also create new routes for fluid removal.

Open-angle glaucoma is a disease that is not always treated in the same way

The form of treatment chosen depends on the state of the optic nerve and the general well-being of the patient. The ophthalmologist informs the patient about the benefits of each form of treatment and recommends the patient the most appropriate option depending on the patient’s situation.

In many cases, a patient who has undergone traditional surgery or laser surgery will then have to use medication. The positive effects of surgery may diminish over time.