Glaucom Intracranial Pressure

Glaucoma, what is glaucoma? If you are like me, you think it has to do with the pressure in your head and that marijuana is the alternative drug that can make it better. I immediately think about the movie “How High” and see the little old lady sitting on her bed with a pipe saying that it helps with glaucoma too. But is any of this true? Yes and no. Glaucoma does not affect the pressure in your head known as intracranial pressure or ICP. What it does affect is the pressure that is put onto the optic nerve, this type of pressure is call intraocular pressure or IOP. There are several different types of glaucoma that can have different symptoms and treatments. Although this happens mostly in adults over the age of sixty, it can happen at any …show more content…
Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form. It is caused by having the drainage area remain open but the trabecular meshwork is somewhat blocked. The happens at such a slow rate that people lose their vision before they know it. Angle-closure or closed-angle glaucoma happens when the iris bulges forward to block the drainage area. This can happen gradually and is known as chronic angle-closure or it can happen suddenly which is known as acute angle-closure. Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency and needs to be taken very seriously seeking immediate medical attention received. This form if not corrected as soon as possible will cause the eye to be blind. Normal-tension glaucoma is caused because of a sensitive optic nerve or having low blood flow to the optic nerve. One way that low blood flow can happen is by a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries around the eye. Pigmentary glaucoma is when pigment granules from the iris builds up in the drainage channels. One of the activities that can cause this is jogging. Unfortunately glaucoma can be found in children, this is known as congenital glaucoma. This is caused bey a defect in the angle of the eye that slows the drainage of fluid or an underlying condition. The symptoms for this condition are usually obvious as to something is wrong. Their eyes are cloudy, sensitive to light and …show more content…
The optometrist will start by getting any personal and family history, this would include any symptoms that are being had.The next step will be to check the line of vision by seeing how far away a person can see and how much of a peripheral sight is there. One of the tests is done by dilating the pupils of the eye. A special magnifying lens is then used to look at the retina and optic nerve for damage and any other eye problems. Another test that is done is called Tonometry. This measures the intraocular pressure inside the eye that can lead to glaucoma. Pachymetry is done to measure the thickness of the cornea. This test uses ultrasonic waves to measure the cornea. With all of these tests a solution that numbs or dilates the eye will be