Glaucoma Symptoms and Eye pressure Treatment

Author: Evelyn

Glaucoma is an eye disease of increased pressure within the eyeball, causing gradual, irreversible loss of vision.
The most common types of glaucoma are primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma.

• Primary open-angle glaucoma

Primary open-angle glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged, leading to progressive, irreversible loss of vision.

• Angle-closure glaucoma

Angle closure glaucoma is emergency case in which there will be blockage of aqueous humor drainage with high IOP [Intraocular Pressure] and optic nerve damage.
Both types of glaucoma have completely different symptoms.
Primary open-angle glaucoma symptoms include:

• Tunnel vision in the advanced stages
• Gradual loss of peripheral vision, usually in both eyes

Acute angle-closure glaucoma symptoms include:

• Eye pain
• Sudden onset of visual disturbance, often in low light
• Halos around lights
• Blurred vision
• Eye redness

Risk factors of Glaucoma
Age: Glaucoma is much more common among older people.
Injury to Eye: Injury to the eye may cause secondary open angle glaucoma. This type of glaucoma can occur immediately after the injury or years later.
Indiscriminate use of Steroids: Steroids increase intraocular pressure. These could be in the form of Oral medications, Steroid Inhalers and Steroid Eye Drops used for long periods of time.
Family History of Glaucoma: The most common type of glaucoma is hereditary. If the members of your immediate family have glaucoma, you are at a much higher risk than the rest of the people.
High myopia (nearsightedness), Diabetes, Hypertension, Central corneal thickness less than 500 microns are the other possible risk of glaucoma.

Glaucoma Treatments
The aim of any glaucoma treatment is to prevent vision loss. It can be treated with eye drops, pills, laser surgery, traditional surgery or a combination of these methods

Eye Drops
Eye Drops are the first line of treatment and needs to be used lifelong. Depending on the severity, it may have to be instilled once or several times a day, sometimes in combinations. These medications decrease eye pressure, either by reducing the aqueous production or by improving the outflow at Trabecular meshwork.

Laser Surgery
If conventional therapy is not controlling the intraocular pressure (IOP) adequately, or if the disease is progressing in spite of regular treatment, or if patient is not taking their medicine according to schedule. The laser is usually used in one of two ways. In open-angle glaucoma, the laser is used to enlarge the drains (Laser Trabeculoplasty). However this treatment is not very popular as the effect is generally temporary, and after several months the high IOPs can return. In angle-closure glaucoma, the laser is used to create a hole in the iris to improve the flow of aqueous and gives adequate & permanent results. This is to be done generally in both of the eyes.
At Karthik Netralaya Eye Care hospitals, the patient is investigated thoroughly and then the treatment is assigned to the patients to maintain her/his quality of life and vision.
Eye pressure treatments are best done at Karthik Netralaya Bangalore, one of the leading eye care center in India with cheap cost.

Posted in: Vision