Different Types of Glaucoma
- Open angle glaucoma (also known as chronic glaucoma)
- Angle closure glaucoma (also known as acute glaucoma, narrow angle glaucoma, or closed angle glaucoma)
- Low tension glaucoma
- Normal tension glaucoma
- Congenital glaucoma
- Secondary glaucoma
- Pigmentary glaucoma
- Neovascular glaucoma.
Open angle glaucoma is by far the most common form of glaucoma.
Causes and Risk Factors of Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. However,
glaucoma research scientists are not sure of the exact cause or
causes of glaucoma. They do know that although anyone can get glaucoma, some people are at higher risk than others. The risk of glaucoma is higher in the following people:
- African Americans over the age of 40
- Everyone over age 60, especially Mexican Americans
- People with a family history of glaucoma
- People with diabetes.
Among African Americans, studies show that glaucoma is:
- Five times more likely to occur in African Americans than in Caucasians
- About four times more likely to cause blindness in African Americans than in Caucasians
- Fifteen times more likely to cause blindness in African Americans between the ages of 45 and 64 than in Caucasians of the same age group.
Glaucoma symptoms can develop in one or both eyes. The specific symptoms of glaucoma will depend on the type of glaucoma a person is experiencing.
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