If caught in time, glaucoma can be treated.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a condition that damages the optic nerve; it is caused by excessive pressure inside the eye. This is a very serious condition and is the primary cause of irreversible blindness across the world.
The optic nerve is the structure that transmits to the brain the images perceived on the retina. An increase in intraocular pressure damages the nerve and prevents its normal transmission. General image perception and its width gradually reduce with the progression of the disease.
Glaucoma is an insidious condition because in the early stages it is asymptomatic. The patient will not be aware of the visual disturbances caused by this pathology. Unfortunately, when the patient finally becomes aware of the degree of sight deficiency, the condition will have already reached an advanced stage. If it is not diagnosed in time, the damage to the nerve will be so severe it may lead to blindness. For this reason, early diagnosis is essential.
There are three forms of glaucoma
Diagnosis of glaucoma
If a person suspects that glaucoma is affecting his/her vision, there are a number of simple tests that can define the diagnosis. The most important of these are:
- Ocular tone: measurement of the pressure inside the eye;
- Fundus of the eye: observation of the optic disk (or nerve head) positioned in the fundus of the eye;
- Daily tonometric curve: measurement of the ocular pressure several times throughout the day;
- Gonioscopy: observation of the camerular angle, that is the structures for the deflux of aqueous humor;
- Computerized examination of the visual field.
Treatment of glaucoma
Glaucoma can be treated in three ways:
- Medical treatment: eye drops can be administered to reduce the total quantity of aqueous humor inside the eye, and this will reduce the pressure. The eye drops can either reduce the production of aqueous humor or increase the deflux.
- Laser therapy: laser treatment of glaucoma can modify the eye’s deflux system to allow the aqueous humor to exit the eye more easily; different types of laser can be used for the procedures and the choice depends on the type of glaucoma and its stage of evolution. Laser therapy includes a number of techniques that can all be used in a day surgery setting and that are all almost painless.
- Surgery: all of the anti-glaucoma procedures aim to create an opening in the walls of the eyes to allow any excess aqueous humor to escape. The most commonly-used procedure used is called trabeculectomy. A number of other procedures are available and these are selected byt the eye doctore on the basis of the type of glaucoma, the stage of the condition’s evolution and the patient’s age.