Questions

1. Which of the following patients

would be most at risk for
developing glaucoma? a. The 38
year-old Caucasian male.
b. The 70 year-old female
African- American.
c. The 61 year-old Hispanic male.
2. The client with glaucoma asks
the nurse if complete vision will
return. The most appropriate
response is:
a. Your vision will never return to
normal
b. Your vision loss is temporary
and will return in 3-4 weeks.
c. Although some vision has been
lost and cannot be restored,
further loss may be prevented by
adhering to treatment plan.

ANSWERS: 1. B, 2. C, 3. C, 4.
A

inform, and assess their

patients for glaucoma.
Glaucoma is called the
silent thief of sight for a
reason. There usually are
no symptoms until the late
stages of the disease.
Once there is an
impairment in vision, there
is no getting it back. It
can then only be halted by
treatment in order to
prevent further vision loss.
The key is prevention.
This is what makes the
nurses role so important
in the treatment of
Glaucoma. Patients
should be told that annual
comprehensive dilated eye
exams are the best way to
protect their vision from
glaucoma and are painless
and non-invasive.
Glaucoma is the second
leading cause of
blindness in the United
States. The prevalence
of this disease is great and
it needs to be addressed.
Glaucoma can be treated
with eye drops/pills
(lifelong treatment), laser
surgery, traditional
surgery or a combination
of these methods. The
good news is that
glaucoma can be
managed if detected early,
and that with medical
and/or surgical treatment,

3. The nurse is performing an

assessment in a client with a
suspected diagnosis of advanced
open angle glaucoma. The chief
clinical manifestation that the
nurse would expect to find is:
a. Halo formation around lights.
b. Reddening of the eyes.
c. Tunnel vision.
4. The nurse is developing a
teaching plan for the client with
glaucoma. Which of the following
instructions would the nurse
include in the plan of care?
a. Eye medications will need to
be administered lifelong.
b. Decrease the amount of salt in
the diet.

Glauco
ma

The Silent Thief

of Sight

Risk Factors
Age: You are at a high risk if
you are over the age of 60.

What is
Glaucoma?

Glaucoma or increased
intraocular pressure (IOP) is a
group of diseases than can
cause damage to the optic
nerve in the eye and gets worse
over time. Generally, glaucoma
is divided into two major
categories; open angle and
closed angle glaucoma. In
closed angle glaucoma, the iris
blocks fluid access and this
builds up pressure in the eye. In
open angle glaucoma, fluid does
not drain well out of the eye.
Both of these can cause vision
loss or blindness. Glaucoma
tends to be inherited and may
not show up until later in life.
However, glaucoma can be
present in children due to a
congenital defect and is usually
detected within the first year of

Signs And
Symptoms

Open Angle Glaucoma

Ethnic Background: AfricanAmericans have a much

higher risk of developing
glaucoma than any other
ethnicity. The Japanese,
Asians, and Hispanics also
have an increased risk of
developing glaucoma.

Medical Conditions: If you

have diabetes, heart disease,
high blood pressure,
nearsightedness, or
hypothyroidism you are also
at an increased risk of
glaucoma.

Gradual loss of peripheral vision,

usually in both eyes.

Tunnel vision in the advanced

stages.

Closed Angle Glaucoma

Gender: Women have an

increased incidence rate of
glaucoma.
Family History: If you have a
family history of glaucoma,
you have a greater risk of
developing it. It may be from
a defected gene that is
passed down.

Eye pain

Nausea and vomiting

Sudden onset of visual

disturbance

Blurred vision

Halos around lights

Reddening of the eye

Nursing
Diagnoses
Disturbed visual sensory
perception- This may be
evidenced by the progressive loss
of visual field. The desired
outcome would include
participation in a therapeutic
regimen, and to maintain current
vision field without further loss.

Anxiety- This may be evidenced

by expressed concern regarding
changes in life events. The
desired outcome would be for the
patient to report anxiety is
reduced to a manageable level.

Knowledge Deficit- The desired

outcome is for the patient to
verbalize understanding of
condition, prognosis, and
treatment.

References
Braun, C., & Anderson, C. (2011).Pathophysiology: A clinical approach(2nd ed.).
Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health.
WHO'S AT RISK? (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2015, from
https://www.glaucomafoundation.org/Risk.htm
Glaucoma Treatment: Eye Drops and Other Medications. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28,
2015, from http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/glaucoma-3treatment.htm
Glaucoma. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2015, from
http://www.kellogg.umich.edu/patientcare/conditions/glaucoma.html
Glaucoma. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2015, from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases- conditions/glaucoma/basics/treatment/con20024042