Glaucoma (kala motia): Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Dr. Anin Sethi, MBBS, MD Opthalmology (AIIMS), currently practicing at Mirchia’s Laser Eye Clinic, Chandigarh, talks about glaucoma and the threat it poses. 

What is glaucoma? 

According to Dr. Anin Sethi, the eye produces a type of liquid that maintains pressure in the eyes. But sometimes, the drainage of this fluid is interrupted, the pressure in the eye increases, and the pressure in the eye increases. This abnormally high pressure could cause the optic nerve to dry. 

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60. It can occur at any age but is more common in older adults

What are the symptoms of Glaucoma? 

Symptoms include: 

• Patchy blind spots in your side (peripheral) or central vision, frequently in both eyes
• Tunnel vision in the advanced stages
• Severe headache
• Eye pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Halos around lights
• Eye redness

How to prevent glaucoma from spreading? 

Dr. Anin suggests getting regular eye checkups and other checkups to ensure that the Kala motia (glaucoma) doesn’t spread further. These check-ups are to be done every 3-4 months to monitor the growth of glaucoma. 

What is the treatment for glaucoma?

As said by Dr. Anin Sethi, glaucoma cannot be treated completely, but it could be stopped and be prevented from spreading any further than it already has, with the help of some medications. The medications for this disease can last for an extended period. 90% of the time, the patient is treated with medications only. But in a few cases, an operation is needed, i.e., trabeculectomy. In few cases, it is treated with laser eye treatments to keep the pressure in control.  Glaucoma does not affect only a particular age group. There are equal chances of an infant, an adult, or an older adult suffering from this. 

What are the different types of glaucoma?

According to Dr. Sethi, there are different types of glaucoma, lasers treat some, some can be treated with medicines, and for some types, a combination of both. The chance of the disease is being treated by surgery is significantly less.

Bottom line

It is very important to follow the prescribed medicines and take them on time. Get periodic eye- checkups, within 5-6 months. The fact about this disease is that the patient cannot feel the ‘Kala motia’ in his/her eye because the patient’s vision remains the same, but the vision’s circumference starts to shrink. Therefore, the patient may experience difficulty while climbing or descending the stairs or while driving, affecting the patient’s peripheral vision.  So whenever you feel vision impairment, do consult a doctor and get your eye pressure checked. And follow SimpliHealth or visit our website (link) for more information on health-related queries.