Timely detection and correct treatment of Glaucoma avoids irreversible blindness!

All patients over the age of 40 are advised to measure intraocular pressure at any visit to an eye doctor. Treatment of glaucoma in each case is purely individual, it can consist of a combination of different methods and only takes place with active participation of attending physician.

Open-angle glaucoma is dangerous because its appearance can go unnoticed for a long time and that obvious changes in vision are felt by a person only when the disease is in an advanced stage. That is why all patients after 40 years of age should have intraocular pressure measured at any visit to an eye doctor (at least once every 6 months). Glaucoma destroys nerve fibers in the retina and optic nerve that cannot be repaired. At the initial stage, the visual field narrows along the periphery, but there is no pain syndrome, and visual acuity can still be quite high.

Glaucoma Treatment Methods

You should know that the earlier the diagnosis of open-angle glaucoma is made and treatment is started, the more chances are to preserve and maintain the visual functions of the eye.
The decisive factor in the treatment of attacks of angle-closure glaucoma is the time to see a doctor. If the attack is not stopped within the first day, then this can lead to a significant irreversible decrease in vision, and sometimes to blindness.

Treatment of any type of glaucoma is aimed primarily at normalizing intraocular pressure:
with the help of drops (the selection of medicines and use, determined after the examination)
with the help of laser therapy (carried out when drug therapy is ineffective).
with the help of surgical operation (it is carried out with the ineffectiveness of drug therapy, after the operation patient is relieved of the need to use drops for 5-7 years).

In the initial stages of open-angle glaucoma, a properly selected drip regimen may be sufficient. Usually these are several types of drops that must be used from one to three times a day. It should be remembered that it is unacceptable to skip or forget about them, the cost of such errors can be loss of vision.

Laser glaucoma treatment
If the drops cannot effectively reduce the IOP level or the glaucoma process is already at an advanced stage, they resort to laser and surgical treatment. At the same time, they strive to improve the outflow of intraocular fluid along natural pathways and / or form new outflow pathways.
Laser treatment of glaucoma - laser iridectomy (iridotomy) - is the method of choice in patients with angle-closure glaucoma or as an additional treatment for drops in open-angle glaucoma. The essence of the procedure is in the non-contact formation of additional pathways for the outflow of intraocular fluid. Laser surgery is low-traumatic, performed on an outpatient basis and, as a rule, does not require special preparation.
painless (performed under local anesthesia)
lasts about 10-15 minutes
the postoperative period is 1 week (during this period, the patient is prescribed anti-inflammatory drops), uncomfortable phenomena in the eye area are possible for 5-7 days.
the cost of the operation is objectively affordable and allows a wide range of patients to prevent further vision loss.

Surgical treatment:

Surgical methods are used when neither drops nor laser therapy can effectively reduce the IOP level or glaucomatous process is already at an advanced stage. The feasibility and necessity of antiglaucomatous surgery is determined by doctor. Self-medication or recommendations from one patient to another are unacceptable.

Laser and surgical treatment for angle-closure glaucoma is performed to relieve seizures and prevent recurrent seizures.

To maintain visual function, patients with any form of glaucoma are given courses of therapeutic treatment, sometimes combined with minor forms of surgical intervention. At present, this is one of the most promising areas of glaucoma therapy, and in some cases it allows achieving partial improvement of vision.

It must be said that glaucoma is a lifelong disease. Even if the treatment carried out allows the intraocular pressure to remain at a normal level for many years, there is no guarantee that the IOP rises will not be repeated. Therefore, patients with glaucoma should be constantly examined by an ophthalmologist. Usually, the frequency of examinations is every 3-4 months, depending on the stage of the disease.