Question

Short answer questions: How can a problem with the ciliary body or the canal of Schlemm lead to development of glaucoma? Make sure to explain the following.

            A. What is glaucoma?

            B. What would need to happen by the ciliary body for glaucoma to develop assuming the canal of Schlemm is working properly?

            C. What would need to happen with the canal of Schlemm for glaucoma to develop assuming the ciliary body is working properly?

Answer 1

A. Glaucoma is the damage caused to the optic nerve that carry impulses from the retina to the brain. This is caused due to the high pressure developed in the eye. The aqueous humour production in the eye leads to this disease. The aqueous humour filling in the eye may create a high pressure in the retina due to the blockage or excess production leading to the nerve damage and lead to a permanent vision loss.

B. Ciliary body is the place on the eye where the aqueous humour is produced. The trauma to the ciliary body can lead to the bleeding in the eye that cause the increase in pressure. As a result the drainage system of the canal if schlemm fail to remove this excess fluid and lead to the glaucoma.

C. Canal of schlemm is the drainage system of the aqueous humour. The ciliary body functioning normally produce the aqueous humour. But the blockage of the schlemm leads to the blockage if the drainage system. As the canal fails to remove the aqueous humour the humour filling in between the cornea and lens increases and creates high pressure in the eye which damages the nerve and leads to glaucoma.