Risk Factors of Glaucoma


There are certain conditions that act as risk factors and increase the chances of a person developing glaucoma. These include:

  • Increased Intraocular Pressure (IOP): An increase in the intraocular pressure within the eye may damage the optic nerve and result in Glaucoma.
  • Age: People who are at an older age are at a higher risk of developing Glaucoma as compared to younger people as the risk of developing Glaucoma tends to increase with age
  • Genetic Conditions: People who have a family history of Glaucoma are also at a higher risk of suffering from this medical condition as well. In fact in such cases, at the time of diagnosis, the person would have already suffered from partial loss of vision.
  • Pre existing Medical Conditions: Some medical conditions such as sleep apnea, diabetes, migraine, nearsightedness etc also act as risk factors for Glaucoma. Additionally, those who consume high doses of inhaled or oral steroids are also at a higher risk of developing glaucoma.

Frequently asked questions
References
  1. David F. Garway-Heath, Early diagnosis in glaucoma, In: Carlo Nucci, Luciano Cerulli, Neville N. Osborne and Giacinto Bagetta, Editor(s), Progress in Brain Research, Elsevier, 2008, Volume 173, Pages 47-57, ISSN 0079-6123, ISBN 9780444532565, 10.1016/S0079-6123(08)01105-9.
  2. M. Mozaffarieh, M.C. Grieshaber, S. Orgül, J. Flammer, The Potential Value of Natural Antioxidative Treatment in Glaucoma, Survey of Ophthalmology, Volume 53, Issue 5, September–October 2008, Pages 479-505, ISSN 0039-6257, 10.1016/j.survophthal.2008.06.006.
  3. Matthias Monhart, What Are the Options of Psychophysical Approaches in Glaucoma?, Survey of Ophthalmology, Volume 52, Issue 6, Supplement, November 2007, Pages S127-S133, ISSN 0039-6257, 10.1016/j.survophthal.2007.08.007.