Green Star

The term green star, also known as “glaucoma” describes a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve is increasingly damaged and finally destroyed by increased eye pressure. The image on the retina is sent to the brain via the optic nerve. If left untreated, these diseases eventually lead to blindness due to the destruction of the optic nerve.

The green star is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide.

In the Nymphenburger Höfe Eye Center in Munich we offer you the most modern options in the field of glaucoma prevention and glaucoma treatment.

HOW DOES A GREEN STAR DEVELOP?

The intraocular pressure is maintained by a balanced system of ciliary body (a tissue behind the lens of the eye that forms the aqueous humor), trabecular meshwork (the drainage system of the eye) and Schlemm’s canal. From this channel, the aqueous humor is pumped out through the veins of the eye. In a healthy state, the inflow and outflow of the aqueous humor are balanced.

The optimal eye pressure is at most 22 mmHg. With higher eye pressure, a glaucoma can develop with progressive destruction of the optic nerve. However, there are also people in whom a lower intraocular pressure can trigger a glaucoma with optic nerve damage. One then speaks of a glaucoma without high eye pressure, a so called low pressure glaucoma or normal pressure glaucoma.

A glaucoma disease can have different causes.

THERE ARE 3 MAIN GROUPS:

• Primary glaucoma does not result from another general or eye disease. Glaucoma is typically bilateral. You also assume a genetic component.
• Secondary glaucoma develops as a result of another underlying disease, e.g. after inflammation, injuries, diabetes, vascular occlusion, cortisone therapy, after surgery, after bleeding in the eye, etc. The therapy naturally consists in lowering the intraocular pressure but also in treating the underlying disease.
• Developmental glaucoma is based on an abnormal development in the chamber angle. In this group, primary congenital glaucoma in children can be distinguished from development-related glaucoma with other anomalies without any other associated changes.

The most common glaucoma is primary glaucoma. There are two types of primary glaucoma, namely narrow-angle glaucoma and open-angle glaucoma.