Glaucoma Surgery
There are several types of glaucoma. The most common are the following:
- Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
- Angle Closure Glaucoma
- Congenital Glaucoma
- Normal Pressure Glaucoma
Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease that can lead to irreversible blindness. No hassle and that is why usually the person who has it consulted the doctor when it is too late. The best way to detect it early, when it is still treatable, is to regularly consult the ophthalmologist who made some tests can diagnose and treat early.
How glaucoma causes blindness?
Glaucoma causes blindness by increased pressure within the eyeball: eye normally has within it a fluid called aqueous humor, which constantly entering the eye and should come out in equal amounts. If greater the amount of liquid entering the leaving, the pressure within the eye increases.
When raising the pressure inside the eye causes atrophy of some structures: the most affected are those composed of nerve tissue, especially the optic nerve. These neural structures are not able to repair themselves when injured, ie if there is an advanced damage from glaucoma, it can not be repaired. That is why in advanced stages treatment is to preserve the little vision that still exists, before reaching absolute blindness. Only if treatment is initiated early is achieved completely prevent vision loss.
How long does the glaucoma lead to blindness?
Depending on how high the pressure can lose vision after 2-5 years at this time variation depending on the individual. The damage that causes glaucoma progresses slowly and initially affects peripheral vision: that is why the person who has it doesn't notice any changes in your vision until almost completely lost.
How can this disease be detected early?
Although most times, glaucoma has no symptoms or pain, there are some warning signs that appear more frequently in people with glaucoma:
- Bites in the eyes
- Headaches
- Poor vision
- Halos around lights
- Eye stiffer than normal
- Family with glaucoma
Given that there is almost never significant discomfort or change in vision, the best way to catch it early is to consult an ophthalmologist, who can discover early changes in peripheral vision, optic nerve and eye pressure. Ideally you should consult an ophthalmologist every year, not only for glaucoma but many other eye diseases.
What is the treatment for glaucoma?
The treatment is to control the cause of glaucoma: the intraocular pressure elevated. Almost always able to control the pressure with drugs that decrease the production of fluid within the eye or to facilitate their departure. Sometimes when there is sufficient to control the pressure or if the damage is very advanced, surgery is required to bring the pressure to normal.
¿What is chronic glaucoma?
Chronic glaucoma is a disease which usually results from an increase in pressure inside the eye. If not detected early, this increased pressure may affect the optic nerve producing a deterior.
¿Who can affect glaucoma?
Anyone can get glaucoma, although it occurs more frequently above 40. There are a number of factors that increase the chance of suffering, such as a family history of glaucoma or high myopia.
¿What are the symptoms of glaucoma?
Glaucoma has usually no symptoms until the disease is well advanced and in which there is a significant deterioration of the vision. The eye doctor is the only one that can detect glaucoma in early stages, hence the importance of regular eye examinations even if we think that our vision is normal.
¿What is the treatment of glaucoma?
Most people with glaucoma can prevent progression with medical treatment (usually eye drops) and appropriate monitoring by the ophthalmologist. Sometimes, laser treatment may be beneficial. In advanced cases or in those in whom medical treatment is insufficient may be required surgical intervention.
¿How I can get more information about glaucoma?
For more information about glaucoma, please ask your eye doctor.
