General knowledge of glaucoma

  There are closed-angle and open-angle types of primary glaucoma, and there are acute and chronic closed-angle types.  The symptoms of acute onset are obvious, often with iris vision, eye pain, significant loss of vision, eye congestion, severe headache, nausea and vomiting, and even fever. Some patients are mistaken for “acute gastroenteritis”, “migraine”, “severe cold” and so on. In addition to the typical symptoms, many patients may experience transient iris, blurred vision, eye swelling and nasal root pain, which may resolve on their own with rest. These symptoms are mild and can be easily ignored by patients, resulting in a lost opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment.  Acute glaucoma is all closed-angle glaucoma, which is the main type of glaucoma in China.  Chronic closed-angle glaucoma and open-angle glaucoma have similar clinical manifestations and are characterized by insidious onset, often developing unknowingly, and in many cases are often discovered only in the middle or late stages. In the early stage, it is often easy to produce visual fatigue and eye discomfort, and some may show progressive myopia and blurred vision.  Detailed ophthalmologic examinations such as pressure leveling, computerized visual field examination, and atrial angle examination should be performed if the above symptoms are present. If glaucoma is clearly identified, an appropriate treatment plan should be formulated according to the specific condition and medication or surgery should be performed.