Understanding Glaucoma
February 8, 2010
Glaucoma is rare and elderly people are at a greater care risk of developing it. Due to the fluid, aqueous humour, pressure inside the eye increases and thus affects the vision and finally leads to complete loss of vision.
Glaucoma is of two types- acute glaucoma and chronic glaucoma. Chronic glaucoma occurs with age and is more common type of glaucoma. Chronic glaucoma occurs when functioning of drainage system diminishes with time. This increases the pressure of the fluids inside the eye.
As this pressure increases, the optic nerve is damaged and thus deteriorating the peripheral field of vision.
Acute glaucoma is caused by sudden obstruction in the drainage system of the eye fluid. It happens rarely.
Cause
Antidepressant drugs, drugs for treatment of Parkinson`s disease and prolonged use of steroidal eye drops often lead to glaucoma. Glaucoma is found to be genetically inherited.
Symptoms
Early symptoms of glaucoma are difficult to trace. This is because even though the outer layer is damaged the brain cells takes over the functioning and the vision remains more or less the same. There is a general discomfort in the eye.
Symptoms are different in case of acute glaucoma. The pressure is so much that the eyeball appears very hard. Because of sudden obstruction, abrupt blindness may occur accompanied by severe pain and redness in the eye.
Diagnosis
Yearly check-ups must be done in order to keep an eye on any ongoing changes in the back of the eye. The ophthalmoscope screens pressure of the eye. Use of local anaesthetic is done to apply pressure gauge and check pressure of the eye.
Cure and Treatment
There is no permanent cure of glaucoma. The condition can only be controlled. Intraocular pressure can be decreased by beta-blockers, prostaglandins analogues, alpha-adrenergic antagonist and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.
Pregnant women are given only eye drops or other alternative treatment since the medication mentioned above are secreted in the milk and the fetus may experience side effects.
Isokinetic and aerobic exercises are helpful in reducing intraocular pressure. In case of requirement of a surgery, an incision in made at the edge of the iris in order to improve drainage and hence reduces the pressure.
Even after the surgery one will have to pay regular visit to the ophthalmologist.
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