WEBVTT

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Glaucoma Glaucoma is
a group of diseases

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that damage the eye's
major nerve.

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All types of glaucoma can cause
vision loss and blindness.

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To understand how this happens,
it helps to know a little

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about how your eye works.

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Light enters your eye
through your cornea.

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This is the clear, dome-shaped
tissue in front of the iris -

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the colored part of your eye.

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The pupil is the
circular "window"

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in the center of your iris.

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It opens and closes to let
in the right amount of light.

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The lens is a disk
of clear tissue

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that sits behind your pupil.

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It focuses light onto the
retina at the back of your eye.

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The retina is a layer of
light-sensitive tissue

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that lines the inside
of your eye.

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It sends signals to
your optic nerve,

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which carries them
to your brain.

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The brain translates
these signals into images

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of what you see around you.

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Your eye is also filled

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with a fluid called
aqueous [ache-we-us] humor.

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This fluid normally
flows in and out

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through the eye's
drainage system.

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However, when the fluid
doesn't drain properly,

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the amount of fluid inside
your eyes slowly rises.

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As it rises it increases
pressure inside the eye.

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This pressure damages
the optic nerve

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and eventually causes glaucoma.

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Experts don't know exactly what
causes this pressure build-up

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in some people.

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You can get glaucoma even if
your fluid pressure is normal.

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And, some people who
have high pressure

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in their eyes don't
get glaucoma.

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But, you are more likely to get
it if: You have a family history

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of glaucoma You have diabetes.

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Diabetes nearly doubles
your risk for glaucoma.

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You have high blood pressure You
have injured your eye You're an

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African American
over the age of 40,

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or You're over the age of 60.

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Your risk is even
higher if you are

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over 60 and Mexican American.

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Diagnosis The best way
to prevent glaucoma is

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to get regular eye exams.

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This will help your eye care
professional find the disease

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at an earlier stage when you can
take steps to reduce the damage.

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Several tests are done
to check for glaucoma.

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One test is a visual
acuity test.

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This common eye chart
test measures your ability

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to see shapes and objects
at various distances.

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You may also have
your retina checked.

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For this test, you
are given eye drops

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that widen, or dilate
your pupil.

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This allows your health care
provider to do a close-up exam

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of your retina to
see if it is damaged.

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Your provider will also
check your visual field.

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This test measures your
peripheral vision -

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or how well you can see on each
side without turning your head.

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Lost peripheral vision
can be a sign of glaucoma.

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Another test is called
tonometry.

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This test measures the fluid
pressure inside your eye.

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There are several
ways to do this test.

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One way is when your
provider uses a special device

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to see what happens
when a short puff

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of air is blown at your eye.

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Treatment There is
no cure for glaucoma.

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If you've already lost vision,

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you won't be able
to get it back.

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However several treatments can
help keep it from getting worse.

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This is why it's
important to find glaucoma

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in its earliest stages.

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Treatments include:
Medicines, surgery, or a shunt.

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Some medicines help your
eye make less fluid.

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Other medicines lower
the pressure in your eye

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by helping the fluid drain away.

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You may get these
medicines as eye drops.

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Ask your health care provider to
show you how to use the drops,

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and always take them
as directed.

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Laser or conventional
surgery may be used

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to manage the draining, flow,
or amount of fluid in your eye.

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You may also have
a tube shunt placed

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in your eye during surgery.

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This tube allows
the fluid to move

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out of your eye,
reducing pressure.

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It will lower pressure
in your eye,

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but it will not make
you see better

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or fix the damage
that is already done.

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Things to Remember When you
have glaucoma, the fluid inside

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of your eye builds up and puts
pressure on your optic nerve.

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There is no cure for glaucoma,

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but several treatments can help
keep it from getting worse.

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Regular eye exams
are the only way

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to make sure you don't
have the disease,

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or that it's caught
as early as possible.

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What We Have Learned Glaucoma
happens when a buildup

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of eye fluid places
pressure on your retina.

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True or false?

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The answer is false.

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Glaucoma happens when
eye fluid places pressure

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on your optic nerve.

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If you have difficulty
seeing long distances,

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it may be a sign of glaucoma.

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True or false?

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The answer is false.

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A loss of peripheral or
side vision may be a sign

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of glaucoma.

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You can have glaucoma even

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if the fluid pressure
inside your eye is normal.

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True or false?

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The answer is true.

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Even some people who
have high pressure

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in their eyes don't
get glaucoma.