One of the scariest ways to lose your sight is through glaucoma. In its most common form, it is not painful. In fact, glaucoma is almost completely undetectable.

The condition slowly eats away at your vision a little at a time so you don’t even notice losing it until it is too late. Any eyesight that is lost due to glaucoma is absolutely permanent.

Without side effects, it is nearly impossible to tell on your own if you are suffering from glaucoma. This is why regular eye appointments are so necessary.

You can schedule an appointment with Vision Care of Maine located in Bangor, easily. But if you are not experiencing any symptoms, how does an eye doctor tell that you have glaucoma?

Keep reading to find out if glaucoma is a genetic condition!

Glaucoma Risk Factors

There are many different things that play a role in if you develop glaucoma. A good eye doctor will look at all possible factors that are present to determine the likelihood that you will develop glaucoma. These factors include:

• Family history. To answer the initial question, glaucoma is, in fact, strongly linked to genetics. If some of your close family members have glaucoma, you should be coming in for more check-ups than others.
• Age is another strong indicator of glaucoma risk. After the age of 60, your risk of developing glaucoma increases. You should make sure to have yearly eye exams at this age.
• Race. You are more likely to develop glaucoma if you are of African American descent. You should be getting more eye exams when you are 40 if you are part of this category.
• Thin corneas. Some people have unusually thin corneas, which appears to be linked to a higher risk of glaucoma.
• High eye pressure. Glaucoma is almost always caused by high interior eye pressure. This happens when the drainage system inside of the eye becomes clogged slightly. When this drainage system becomes clogged, it causes pressure to build over time. As the pressure grows, it presses onto the optic nerve at the back of the eye. This eventually damaging the delicate fibers. Your eye pressure will be tested during a comprehensive eye exam.
• Eye injury.
• High blood pressure.
• The use of corticosteroids. Using corticosteroids for an extended period of time will make you more likely to develop glaucoma.

Other Types of Glaucoma

The most common kind of glaucoma is primary open-angle glaucoma. This form of glaucoma is barely noticeable before permanent vision loss occurs.

But there are other forms of glaucoma that don’t fit that bill. Angle-closure glaucoma comes on very quickly and is painful, though it is much less common.

On the other side, you can develop glaucoma without high interior eye pressure. Normal-tension glaucoma, as it is called, is also very rare. This form of glaucoma is more prevalent in individuals that are of Japanese heritage.

Prevention is the key to avoiding damage and vision loss because of glaucoma. While it cannot be reversed or cured, glaucoma can be kept in check with medication and surgery.

Have more questions about glaucoma or can’t remember the last time you had an eye exam? Schedule an appointment at Vision Care of Maine in Bangor, ME now!

There’s never a bad time to start making your vision health a priority!