Risk Factors That Can Lead To Glaucoma

Eye Injuries

An individual who has sustained eye injuries is at a higher risk of developing glaucoma than an individual who has not. Blunt trauma is the most common type of eye injury implicated in the increased risk of glaucoma. Blunt trauma to the eye can pull apart the ciliary body that makes eye fluid, resulting in bleeding. This accumulation of plasma, debris, and blood in the eye can cause the trabecular meshwork to become obstructed. Since fluid cannot flow out of the eye, the affected individual's intraocular pressure increases. Most cases of trauma-induced glaucoma are temporary and can be mediated through medications that can help keep the intraocular pressure from becoming too high while the eye clears the accumulated blood on its own. If medications are ineffective to keep the intraocular pressure low enough, the patient may need to undergo surgery. While the majority of individuals heal fine from an eye injury, some can develop fibrosis in and around the trabecular meshwork of the affected eye. This scarring can interrupt healthy blood flow and inhibit proper fluid drainage from the eye, leading to glaucoma.

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