Glaucoma damages the optic nerve and can cause blindness. Acute glaucoma is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention and can cause sudden eye pain, swelling, redness, and reduced vision. Treatment options include medication, surgery, and laser treatment. Regular eye exams are important for early diagnosis and treatment. Prevention of glaucoma is unlikely.
The disorder known as glaucoma damages the optic nerve of the eye and potentially causes blindness. Common types of glaucoma include chronic, i.e., open-angle, or acute glaucoma, also known as acute angle-closure glaucoma. The symptoms of acute glaucoma come on suddenly and require immediate medical attention to prevent blindness. Treatment options include medication or surgery depending on the type of glaucoma and its severity. According to medical sources, prevention of acute glaucoma and other forms of the disorder remains unlikely.
In general, glaucoma causes changes in the pressure of the internal fluid that circulates around the eyeball and optic nerve and helps provide vision. In the case of acute glaucoma, this internal fluid becomes blocked. Fluid blockage increases eye or intraocular pressure. The increase in eye pressure often occurs quickly and painfully.
Symptoms of acute glaucoma can come and go in some patients. For others, the symptoms can become severe. In addition to sudden eye pain, acute angle-closure glaucoma presents with swelling and redness and blurry, blurred, or reduced vision. An acute attack of glaucoma can be so severe that it can even cause nausea and vomiting in the patient. Headaches and seeing halos around lights often indicate symptoms of this type of glaucoma.
Acute glaucoma is considered a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention, especially from a
ophthalmologist
. According to medical experts, lack of proper treatment can lead to blindness within days. Your doctor will do a thorough eye exam to diagnose glaucoma. Most tests check for eye pressure, optic nerve problems, or other eye damage. To diagnose acute or other glaucoma, the ophthalmologist conducts
tonometry
,
gonioscopia
and visual acuity tests.
Other tests include a visual field measurement and pupillary reflex response. The ophthalmologist also uses retinal and slit lamp exams to check for acute glaucoma. Optic nerve imaging tests take pictures of the eye inside and out.
Eye drops to reduce eye pressure usually address the acute symptoms of glaucoma. Other treatments also include pills and medicines given intravenously (IV). Some patients may also undergo an iridotomy, which is a laser treatment that opens up the iris. This method relieves eye pressure and prevents the recurrence of an acute glaucoma attack.
Seeking prompt treatment of acute angle-closure glaucoma can often save a patient’s vision. Medical sources note that there are no ways to prevent glaucoma in the first place. Only annual or biennial routine eye exams ensure early diagnosis and treatment.
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