How can an eye injury cause glaucoma?
More than 2.5 million eye injuries occur in the United States each year. Eye injuries can lead to different eye problems including glaucoma. This is usually caused by blunt force trauma to the eye, which leads to the trabecular meshwork tearing or bleeding. The injury can result in scarring of the trabecular meshwork, which reduces its ability to drain fluid. The result could further lead to elevated eye pressure that can cause damage to the nerve in the back of the eye, resulting in glaucoma.
How can an eye injury cause glaucoma?
About 75% of blunt eye injuries result in damage to the internal drainage system. When more than half of the drain is damaged, the risk of glaucoma is about 10%. This can develop years after the initial damage. Therefore, it is crucial to have periodic eye exams to detect glaucoma before significant vision loss occurs.
Can traumatic glaucoma be cured?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for traumatic glaucoma. However, there are many effective treatments, so prevention and early treatment interventions are important.
How is it treated?
The goal of treatments is to lower the eye pressure to prevent continued vision loss. The first treatment for glaucoma is eye drops placed in the eye on a regular basis. Surgery may be required in cases where the eye pressure is high and not controlled by eye drops. Once vision is lost due to pressure damage there is no way to restore it.
Protect Your Eyes to Prevent Injury
Prevention is always better than treatment. The use of proper eye protection (safety glasses, goggles, face shields) can prevent over 90% of eye injuries. Where potential for injury is present, protect your eyes whenever possible. That simple act could save your sight.
Reference: Gleams Newsletter, January 2021, Article by Rajesh K. Shetty, MD and Kathryn B. Freidl, MD
https://www.glaucoma.org/glaucoma/eye-injury-and-glaucoma-questions-and-answers.php
