Blindness Causes 'Glaucoma', 220,000 patients with 3040'Hazard Group' to pay special attention to?
Jul 09, 2024
Glaucoma is a scary disease that can lead to blindness.
The optic nerve that transmits light received by the eye to the brain is gradually destroyed, resulting in narrower vision. In general, the incidence of glaucoma increases with age after the age of 40, and recently, glaucoma detection is increasing even in relatively young people in their 30s. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of glaucoma patients was 1.19 million in 2023. Among them, 73,000 patients were in their 30s, and 150,000 were in their 40s.
Glaucoma is a typical eye disease affected by intraocular pressure. The reason for the increased intraocular pressure is that waterproofing, a liquid that nourishes and carries waste while filling the snow, cannot flow out normally. When the intraocular pressure increases, the eyeball becomes hard like a ball full of wind. As a result, all structures in the eyeball are subjected to pressure, and the particularly soft optic nerve area is subjected to pressure, causing damage.
Glaucoma has gradually increased in the 40s and older, with the largest number of patients in the 60s, but in recent years, it is also increasing in the younger generation. In particular, as many refractive correction surgeries such as LASIK and LASEK are performed, they are often found by chance after going to an ophthalmologist for examination. The majority of young glaucoma patients often have myopia or high myopia, and retinal diseases other than glaucoma may be found.
If you have myopia or high myopia, you are more vulnerable to glaucoma damage. As myopia progresses to high myopia, the eyeball becomes larger and the length increases back and forth. Longer eye lengths cause the optic nerve to be pulled tight, which makes the optic nerve relatively thinner and increases the risk of glaucoma. In addition to intraocular pressure, adult diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes can be a risk factor, and family history is very important.
If you work with your head down for a long time in a dark place, your pupils will grow and your lens will move forward, narrowing your anterior angle (the passage through which waterproofing is released). This interferes with the flow of waterproofing, further increasing the risk of developing glaucoma. There is also congenital glaucoma caused by poor intraocular pressure control due to abnormal waterproof discharge function of the eyes from the infant period.
Glaucoma cannot reverse the already damaged optic nerve function even if treated, and only treatment that slows the progression of damage is possible. Even if the intraocular pressure is normal (10-21mmHg), glaucoma can occur (normal intraocular pressure glaucoma), so if you are in your 40s or older, have cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, have high myopia or ultra-high myopia, or have a family history, you should be examined regularly.
Kim Ju-yeon, director of the Eye Center at Seran Hospital, said, `Glaucoma usually accounts for the majority of patients over 60 years old, but the number of patients has been steadily increasing in 3040 recently, so if there are high-risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high myopia, and steroid use for more than 6 months, it is necessary to undergo a glaucoma examination.""Since normal intraocular pressure glaucoma's visual field damage progresses slowly, it is not easy for patients to notice symptoms on their own. "
Kim Joo-yeon, director of the center, explained, `The decrease in blood flow caused by the thinning of the whites protecting the optic nerve due to myopia, and the lack of blood vessels as the eyeball has grown, also adversely affecting the optic nerve health.' `It is important to diagnose and treat glaucoma as soon as possible because the optic nerve is damaged and eventually the visual field narrows and leads to blindness in the end.'
The optic nerve that transmits light received by the eye to the brain is gradually destroyed, resulting in narrower vision. In general, the incidence of glaucoma increases with age after the age of 40, and recently, glaucoma detection is increasing even in relatively young people in their 30s. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of glaucoma patients was 1.19 million in 2023. Among them, 73,000 patients were in their 30s, and 150,000 were in their 40s.
Glaucoma is a typical eye disease affected by intraocular pressure. The reason for the increased intraocular pressure is that waterproofing, a liquid that nourishes and carries waste while filling the snow, cannot flow out normally. When the intraocular pressure increases, the eyeball becomes hard like a ball full of wind. As a result, all structures in the eyeball are subjected to pressure, and the particularly soft optic nerve area is subjected to pressure, causing damage.
Glaucoma has gradually increased in the 40s and older, with the largest number of patients in the 60s, but in recent years, it is also increasing in the younger generation. In particular, as many refractive correction surgeries such as LASIK and LASEK are performed, they are often found by chance after going to an ophthalmologist for examination. The majority of young glaucoma patients often have myopia or high myopia, and retinal diseases other than glaucoma may be found.
If you have myopia or high myopia, you are more vulnerable to glaucoma damage. As myopia progresses to high myopia, the eyeball becomes larger and the length increases back and forth. Longer eye lengths cause the optic nerve to be pulled tight, which makes the optic nerve relatively thinner and increases the risk of glaucoma. In addition to intraocular pressure, adult diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes can be a risk factor, and family history is very important.
If you work with your head down for a long time in a dark place, your pupils will grow and your lens will move forward, narrowing your anterior angle (the passage through which waterproofing is released). This interferes with the flow of waterproofing, further increasing the risk of developing glaucoma. There is also congenital glaucoma caused by poor intraocular pressure control due to abnormal waterproof discharge function of the eyes from the infant period.
Glaucoma cannot reverse the already damaged optic nerve function even if treated, and only treatment that slows the progression of damage is possible. Even if the intraocular pressure is normal (10-21mmHg), glaucoma can occur (normal intraocular pressure glaucoma), so if you are in your 40s or older, have cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, have high myopia or ultra-high myopia, or have a family history, you should be examined regularly.
Kim Ju-yeon, director of the Eye Center at Seran Hospital, said, `Glaucoma usually accounts for the majority of patients over 60 years old, but the number of patients has been steadily increasing in 3040 recently, so if there are high-risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high myopia, and steroid use for more than 6 months, it is necessary to undergo a glaucoma examination.""Since normal intraocular pressure glaucoma's visual field damage progresses slowly, it is not easy for patients to notice symptoms on their own. "
Kim Joo-yeon, director of the center, explained, `The decrease in blood flow caused by the thinning of the whites protecting the optic nerve due to myopia, and the lack of blood vessels as the eyeball has grown, also adversely affecting the optic nerve health.' `It is important to diagnose and treat glaucoma as soon as possible because the optic nerve is damaged and eventually the visual field narrows and leads to blindness in the end.'
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