Ophthalmologists talk about eye diseases: Can young people get glaucoma?

Speaking of glaucoma, people who don't know about it may think it is a kind of blue eyes, but people who know about it are terrified. Glaucoma is an irreversible blinding eye disease. Blinding means it can cause blindness, and irreversible means that once blindness occurs, it cannot be recovered. Some people think that glaucoma only occurs in the elderly and has nothing to do with young people. Is this really the case? Today, Wu Zuohong, a member of the Glaucoma Group of the Hubei Ophthalmology Society and director of the Glaucoma Department of the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University, will give you an answer.

Do young people also get glaucoma?

Of course, glaucoma is a serious eye disease that can occur in people of all ages. In terms of the probability of glaucoma, it may occur more often in middle-aged and elderly people over 40 years old, but it does not mean that young people have no relationship with glaucoma. There are also many young people suffering from glaucoma, and people under 40 years old should not take it lightly.

What factors are associated with glaucoma?

It should be noted that glaucoma is a disease caused by a combination of internal and external factors. The so-called internal factors refer to heredity, and the root of the disease is located in the genes. People with a family history of glaucoma need to be especially wary of glaucoma. The external factors are some inducing factors in our daily living habits: such as whether we love and protect our eyes in daily life, and whether we have healthy living habits. Therefore, if there are genes related to glaucoma, people who do not pay attention and have an unhealthy lifestyle have a higher chance of developing the disease. At the same time, some unexpected events can also cause glaucoma. In short, if young people have a family history of glaucoma, they are likely to develop glaucoma.

In addition, patients with high myopia and diabetes are relatively high risk groups for glaucoma. Wu Zuohong reminds: Especially when you have a family history, high myopia, and diabetes, once you experience eye discomfort, you must seek medical attention immediately and seek treatment early to avoid irreparable visual damage.