Treatment of Glaucoma

About the disease

Glaucoma is an eye disease, which is characterized by the complete or partial damage of the eye nerve. This nerve is called optical. Glaucoma can result in decreased visual acumen and optical atrophy. Types of this disease are:

1. Open angle
2. Close angle

Glaucoma with an open angle is characterized by the lack of pain and initial symptoms, that can indicate the eye problem. That`s why this kind of glaucoma is particularly vdangerous, as it is usually diagnosed too late. If not treated, glaucoma with open angle can easily result in blindness. Usually glaucoma with open angle is detected during the regular eye check-up. Glaucoma with close angle can appear suddenly or develop gradually. 

Causes of this disease are:

• Family history
• Obesity
• Constant high pressure
• Systematic migraines
• Older age
• Problems with sight vision
• Defficiency of vitamin A
• Big consumption of caffeine

The last stage of glaucoma is called absolute glaucoma and it always results in blindness, regardless of treatment. Treatment can only suspend or slow for a while a visibility loss. Congenital glaucoma, which is also known as juvenile glaucoma, can develop during the first years of child`s life or be evident already at birth. Primary glaucoma diagnosis is clinical and is conducted with the help of tonometer. This type of glaucomas is curable and the treatment is usually surgical.

Symptoms

• Severe pain in the eyes
• Dilated pupils
• Nausea
• Constant redness in the eyes
• High pressure in the eyeballs

Diagnosis

• Doctor will examine the patient for visual acuity. If he notices any decrease in visibility, he will conduct fundus examination, as well as use specialized high-tech techniques such as optical coherence tomography.
• Tomography provides a virtual image of optical nerve.
• An angiography evaluates the state of all blood vessels, the activity of dystrophic process and determines the stage of disease.

Treatment

• Canaloplasty is a not-invasive method that uses the micro catheter. Canaloplasty has been introduced into the medicine only recently, so long-term results of this procedure are not available yet.
• Laser trabeculoplasty (ltp) is procedure, performed in one sitting during which the continious wave laser treats one angle of the eye at a time.
• Laser iridectomy uses highly focused beam of light to decrease pressure in the eye and improve vision.

Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko