Glaucoma, referred to as the “sneak thief of sight,” is a condition that slowly robs your vision with fluid buildup, causing pressure on the eye. More often, this takes the form of open-angle glaucoma, the most common type. But secondary glaucomas can be just as devastating to your vision.

Types of Secondary Glaucoma:

• Pigmentary glaucoma, where flakes from the iris (your eye color) clog the eye’s drainage system, causing pressure buildup and eventual vision loss;
• Pseudo-exfoliative (exfoliative) glaucoma usually causes no noticeable symptoms until it does, affecting peripheral vision first, causing halos around lights, and difficulty seeing in low or dim light;
• Steroid-induced glaucoma, as the name suggests, this type of secondary open-angle glaucoma that occurs because of steroid medications, causing pressure on the optic nerve through fluid build-up because the steroids themselves prevent drainage;
• Uveitic glaucoma, caused by inflammation in the eye — otherwise known as uveitis — which leads to improper drainage, causing pressure build-up and vision loss. As uveitis is often treated with steroids, it can lead to steroid-induced glaucoma as mentioned above;
• Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency and can cause extreme headaches, eyeaches, and vision loss. It comes on suddenly and without warning.

Treatment Options

There are several treatment options available for secondary glaucoma. They include topical medications, various outpatient laser treatments like selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) and laser peripheral iridectomy (LPI), as well as traditional inpatient surgical options.

The SLT procedure typically takes around 5-10 minutes per eye. While the procedure, which stimulates natural fluid drainage, has about a 70-75 percent success rate in slowing down or stopping the progression of glaucoma, it cannot restore vision that has already been lost. The effects of the procedure typically last around five years and can be repeated if the effects have worn off. The LPI procedure creates a tiny hole in the outer iris (colored area of the eye) that relieves sudden angle-closure blockages.

Surgical options include stent injections that bypass blocked drainage pathways, trabeculectomy, and drainage shunts that are inserted into the eye to divert fluid.

The importance of seeing your eye-care provider regularly (at least once a year) for a comprehensive eye exam is of utmost importance in monitoring glaucoma once it is identified to save your vision from a sneak attack of secondary glaucomas.