Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease that causes damage to the optic nerve, resulting in a narrowing of the visual field.

There are two types of glaucoma: acute glaucoma, which develops suddenly, and chronic glaucoma, which progresses gradually.

More than 90% of glaucoma cases are chronic glaucoma. Glaucoma is the leading cause of visual impairment among Japanese people, and can lead to blindness if left untreated.

It is estimated that about 1 in 20 people over the age of 40 and 1 in 10 people over the age of 60 in Japan have glaucoma,

The majority of these people are unaware that they have glaucoma.

 

In the early stages of glaucoma, even if there is a blind spot in one eye, the other eye covers it when the person sees with both eyes, so there are few subjective symptoms and the condition often progresses unnoticed.

At present, there is no treatment to restore the impaired vision, and the goal of treatment is to control the progression of the disease.

Therefore, early detection of the disease is important, and a diagnosis can be made by visiting an ophthalmologist after being diagnosed with “optic nerve papillary depression enlargement” or “retinal nerve fiber bundle defect” during a physical examination or a physical exam.

 

For many years, while working at a general hospital, I also performed fundus reading for physical examinations conducted at the affiliated health care center.

I read the fundus photographs of about 100 people at one time, and I found that a very large number of them were diagnosed with “enlarged optic nerve papillary depression,

In some cases, nearly 40% of the patients were identified as having “optic nerve papillary depression enlargement.

Even strong myopia can result in a determination of “optic nerve papillary depression enlargement.

However, we recommend periodic examinations because the risk of developing glaucoma is relatively high for those who are nearsighted.

 

At our clinic, we can test for glaucoma in a short period of time using specialized testing equipment.

Glaucoma can be inherited, so if you have a family member with glaucoma, we highly recommend that you have an examination.

We recommend that you get tested if you have a family member with glaucoma.

 

High intraocular pressure (IOP), the hardness of the eye, is considered a risk factor for glaucoma.

The normal range of intraocular pressure is 10 to 21 mmHg, but there are cases of glaucoma that occur even when the intraocular pressure is within the normal range, and this is called normal tension glaucoma.

This type of glaucoma, called normal tension glaucoma, is common among Japanese people.

Currently, effective treatment is to lower intraocular pressure regardless of whether the original intraocular pressure is high or within the normal range.

The majority of patients can control their intraocular pressure with eye drops alone.

If glaucoma is detected early, treated properly, and the intraocular pressure is well controlled, it will not lead to blindness in most cases.

In most cases, glaucoma does not lead to blindness.

Early detection and continued treatment are important.