In this article, you
will find answers to the following questions;
What is glaucoma?
What are the symptoms
of glaucoma?
How can glaucoma be
treated?
How can glaucoma be
prevented?
What Is The Meaning Of Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of
diseases that damage the eye’s optic
nerve and can result in vision loss and blindness. However, with early
detection and treatment, you can often protect your eyes against serious vision
loss.
The
Optic Nerve is a bundle of more than 1million nerve
fibers, it connects the retina to the brain.
The
Retina is the light sensitive tissue at the back of the
eyes.
Syptoms Of Glaucoma
At first, open-angle
glaucoma has no symptoms. It causes no pain. Vision stays normal. Glaucoma can
develop in one or both eyes. Without treatment, people with glaucoma will
slowly lose their peripheral (side)
vision. As glaucoma remains untreated, people may miss objects to the side and
out of the corner of their eye. They seem to be looking through a tunnel. Over
time, straight-ahead (central) vision may decrease until no vision remains. Glaucoma
is detected through a comprehensive dilated eye test that includes the
following:
Visual Acuity Test.
This eye chart test measures how well you see at various distances.
Visual Field Test. This
test measures your peripheral vision. It helps your eye care professional tell
if you have lost peripheral vision, a sign of glaucoma.
Dilated Eye Test. In this test, drops are placed in your
eyes to widen, or dilate, the pupils. Your eye care professional uses a special
magnifying lens to examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of damage and
other eye problems. After the exam, your close-up vision may remain blurred for
several hours.
Tonometry is the measurement of pressure
inside the eye by using an instrument (right) called a tonometer. Numbing drops
may be applied to your eye for this test.
Pachymetry is the measurement of the thickness
of your cornea. Your eye care professional applies a numbing drop to your eye
and uses an ultrasonic wave instrument to measure the thickness of your cornea.
Treatments Of Glaucoma
Glaucoma treatments
include medicines, laser trabeculoplasty, conventional surgery, or a
combination of any of these. While these treatments may save remaining vision,
they do not improve sight already lost from glaucoma.
Medicines. Medicines, in the form of eyedrops
or pills, are the most common early treatment for glaucoma. Taken regularly,
these eyedrops lower eye pressure. Some medicines cause the eye to make less
fluid. Others lower pressure by helping fluid drain from the eye. Before you
begin glaucoma treatment, tell your eye care professional about other medicines
and supplements that you are taking. Sometimes the drops can interfere with the
way other medicines work. Glaucoma medicines need to be taken regularly as
directed by your eye care professional.
Most people have no problems. However, some medicines can cause headaches or
other side effects. For example, drops may cause stinging, burning, and redness
in the eyes.
Many medicines are
available to treat glaucoma. If you have problems with one medicine, tell your
eye care professional. Treatment with a different dose or a new medicine may be
possible. Because glaucoma often has no symptoms, people may be tempted to stop
taking, or may forget to take, their medicine. You need to use the drops or
pills as long as they help control your eye pressure. Regular use is very
important.
Make sure your eye care
professional shows you how to put the drops into your eye. For tips on using
your glaucoma eyedrops.
Laser Trabeculoplasty.
Laser trabeculoplasty helps fluid drain out of the eye. Your doctor may suggest
this step at any time. In many cases, you will need to keep taking glaucoma
medicines after this procedure.
Laser trabeculoplasty
is performed in your doctor’s office or eye clinic. Before the surgery, numbing
drops are applied to your eye. As you sit facing the laser machine, your doctor
holds a special lens to your eye. A high-intensity beam of light is aimed
through the lens and reflected onto the meshwork inside your eye. You may see
flashes of bright green or red light. The laser makes several evenly spaced
burns that stretch the drainage holes in the meshwork. This allows the fluid to
drain better.
Like any surgery, laser
surgery can cause side effects, such as inflammation. Your doctor may give you
some drops to take home for any soreness or inflammation inside the eye.
You will need to make
several follow-up visits to have your eye pressure and eye monitored. If you
have glaucoma in both eyes, usually only one eye will be treated at a time.
Laser treatments for each eye will be scheduled several days to several weeks
apart.
Studies show that laser
surgery can be very good at reducing the pressure in some patients. However,
its effects can wear off over time. Your doctor may suggest further treatment.
Conventional Surgery. Conventional surgery makes a new
opening for the fluid to leave the eye. Your doctor may suggest this treatment
at any time. Conventional surgery often is done after medicines and laser
surgery have failed to control pressure. Conventional surgery, called
trabeculectomy, is performed in an operating room. Before the surgery, you are
given medicine to help you relax. Your doctor makes small injections around the
eye to numb it. A small piece of tissue is removed to create a new channel for
the fluid to drain from the eye. This fluid will drain between the eye tissue
layers and create a blister-like “filtration bleb.”
For several weeks after
the surgery, you must put drops in the eye to fight infection and inflammation.
These drops will be different from those you may have been using before
surgery.
Conventional surgery is
performed on one eye at a time. Usually the operations are four to six weeks
apart. Conventional surgery is about 60to 80percent effective at lowering eye
pressure. If the new drainage opening narrows, a second operation may be
needed.
Conventional surgery
works best if you have not had previous eye surgery, such as a cataract
operation. Sometimes after conventional surgery, your vision may not be as good
as it was before conventional surgery. Conventional surgery can cause side
effects, including cataract, problems with the cornea, inflammation, infection
inside the eye, or low eye pressure problems. If you have any of these
problems, tell your doctor so a treatment plan can be developed.
Can Glaucoma Be Prevented?
Currently, regular eye exams are the best form of prevention
against significant glaucoma damage.
Early detection and careful, lifelong treatment can maintain
vision in most people. In general, a check for glaucoma should be done:
·
before age 40, every two
to four years
·
from age 40 to age 54,
every one to three years
·
from age 55 to 64, every
one to two years
·
after age 65, every six
to 12 months
Anyone with high risk factors should be tested every year or two
after age 35. Those at higher risk include people of African descent, people
with diabetes, and people with a family history of glaucoma. You are at
increased risk if you have a parent or brother or sister with glaucoma.
Timely Diagnosis and Appropriate Treatment are Key to Glaucoma
Prevention
While there are no known ways of preventing glaucoma, blindness or
significant vision loss from glaucoma can be prevented if the disease is
recognized in the early stages. In its most prevalent form—primary open angle
glaucoma—vision loss is silent, slow, and progressive. It typically affects
side vision first (peripheral vision) and as it progresses, central vision is
lost.
Glaucoma medications slow the progression of glaucoma by reducing
elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) to prevent damage to the optic nerve.
Surgical treatments are also available.
Benefits of Exercise
A regular program of moderate exercise will
benefit your overall health, and studies have shown that moderate exercise such
as walking or jogging three or more times every week can have an IOP lowering effect.
The benefits from exercise last only as long as
you continue exercising; this is why moderate exercise on a routine basis is
recommended. Yoga can be beneficial, but it’s best to avoid inverted positions
such as headstands and shoulderstands, as these may increase IOP.
Talk with your doctor if you have specific questions or concerns
about starting an exercise program.
Protect Your Eyes
Wearing protective eyewear is important when engaged in sports
activities or home improvement projects.
Eye injuries can result in traumatic glaucoma or
secondary glaucoma, so protecting your eyes from injury is another way to
prevent glaucoma.
0 comments:
Post a Comment