Patient's question:
When I came home from work recently, I felt my glasses were extremely dry and itchy, and I also had a sense of pain. The doctor said it was glaucoma. What are the causes of glaucoma?Doctor's answer:
The cause of glaucoma has not been fully clarified, primarily related to local variations in the eye, including a shorter axial length, a smaller cornea, a shallow anterior chamber, narrow angles, a thicker lens positioned relatively forward, and others. When the iris and the front surface of the lens obstruct the pupil, resistance increases, leading to elevated intraocular pressure. It is commonly seen in individuals over the age of 50, with patients often experiencing downward gaze, the disease occurring in one eye followed by the other or simultaneously. If the patient is under stress, stays in a dark room for an extended period, or uses local or systemic anticholinergic drugs, it can cause pupil dilation and peripheral iris relaxation, thereby triggering the disease. Prolonged eye strain is also a common trigger for this condition.