Glaucoma
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is the increased pressure inside the eye (intraocular
pressure) , which means that the eye has too much aqueous humor in it,
either because it is produced too much, or because it's not draining
properly.
Who is at high risk for glaucoma?
Glaucoma is more common in people above 40 years of age. Diabetes,
short sightedness, eye injury, eye surgery, long term use of steroids
tablets or drops, and a family history of glaucoma are other important
risk factors. Persons with any of these risk factors must get regular
eye checkups to detect glaucoma early.
The vision lost due to glaucoma is irreversible and can not be
regained. Hence it is very important to detect this disease as early as
possible and treat early to preserve vision.
How can glaucoma be prevented?
There is no known way to prevent glaucoma. But few ophthalmologists
suggest: avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, eat a healthy diet, keep
your weight down, exercise, take nutritional products and be sure to
see your eye specialist on a regular basis.
Is glaucoma curable?
No, but it's important to treat glaucoma, because it can cause blindness
What are the symptoms of glaucoma?
There are usually no signs that you're developing glaucoma until
vision loss occurs, which is why it's so important to have regular eye
exams. Your eye doctor can diagnose and treat high IOP before it
progresses to optic nerve damage and vision loss.
However, some patients may experience these symptoms:
- Loss of peripheral vision: this is often not noticed until considerable damage has occurred
- Blurred or foggy vision · Frequent change of glasses for near work
- Heaviness or dull pain in the eyes · Pain and redness of the eye
- Halos or rainbow colored rings perceived around lights
What are the symptoms of glaucoma in children?
The symptoms are redness, watering, photophobia (inability to
tolerate light), enlargement of the eyes, and corneal clouding.
Glaucoma in children needs to be managed very early and aggressively,
in order to save their vision.
Can glaucoma occur at normal eye pressure also?
Yes. Each eye has different capacity for tolerating the pressure.
What may be normal for majority of eyes may be high for certain eyes.
There is a subtype of glaucoma called 'Normal Tension Glaucoma' in
which the eye pressure is apparently within the normal range, but still
the optic nerve gets damaged. Hence, presence of 'normal' pressure
alone does not rule out glaucoma. In suspected cases, one would like to
do other tests as well, even if the pressure is 'normal'.
What is the treatment available for glaucoma?
Medical treatment is generally the first line of management. It
includes eye drops and tablets to control the pressure by either
increasing the drainage or decreasing the production of the fluid in
the eye. These medicines are generally to be used lifelong, and it is
very important to use the medicines regularly at prescribed timings and
not to stop the medicines without consulting the doctor.
Laser treatment is recommended in certain selected cases to create
an alternative pathway for the drainage of the fluid. Even after laser,
a few patients may still need to use medications to keep the pressure
under control. Surgery is recommended in cases where the medicines
alone are not effective or cause significant side effects. The surgery
increases the drainage of the fluid. Cryopexy or Cycloablation are used
in uncontrolled cases, and involve partial or total destruction of the
tissues that produce the fluid in the eye.
Why is early detection and treatment important?
The vision lost due to glaucoma can not be regained, even after the
surgery or other treatment. However a good control of eye pressure
(IOP) by the means described above can help in preserving the vision or
in minimizing the further damage. Hence it is very important to detect
and treat the disease at an early stage before it has caused
significant vision loss. Top
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