As the eyes age, they have an increased likelihood of developing glaucoma, an eye disease that damages the optic nerve. Over time, glaucoma causes vision loss and eventual blindness if left untreated. Not everyone develops glaucoma, but specific risk factors may cause the disease to affect certain groups of people. Read on to learn a few of the risk factors involved with glaucoma. 

Eye Pressure

The leading risk factor for developing glaucoma is increased eye pressure, or intraocular pressure (IOP.) A comprehensive eye exam for adults over the age of 60 or anyone with a family history of glaucoma includes testing eye pressure and other parameters that help to identify risk factors for glaucoma. The fluid in channels within the eye should drain as needed to maintain the correct pressure. When fluid builds up within the channels due to blockage, the pressure within the eyeball increases. 

Change in Blood Vessel Integrity

Changes in the integrity of blood vessels can lead to glaucoma. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, damages the walls of blood vessels when the blood flows through the vessels at a greater pressure than normal. Higher pressure in vessels that supply the eyeball can damage the optic nerve. Even in people who don't have high blood pressure, the blood vessels naturally lose elasticity as we age and become stiffer. Stiffness of the walls of the carotid artery has been linked to an increased risk of glaucoma.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is another condition that increases the chance of developing glaucoma. People with sleep apnea have brief periods where their breathing is arrested for short periods of time during sleep. The lack of oxygen during these episodes causes an increase in carbon dioxide saturation in the blood supply within arteries. A decrease in oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide in the blood traveling to the eye will eventually cause damage to the optic nerve.

Optometrists measure eye pressure, or tonometry, by one of two ways. In one type of test, a machine blows a puff of air directly on the eyeball. Another type of test involves gently touching the eyeball with an instrument that measures pressure. Both testing methods are quick and painless and can be done during your regular eye appointment. During a dilated eye exam, drops placed in the eyes open up the pupils and allow the optometrist to view the inside of the eye to examine the optic nerve. Checking eye pressure and observing the optic nerve can alert the optometrist to order additional testing to diagnose glaucoma, if necessary. 

If you have experienced the above symptoms, contact an optometrist right away.