Glaucoma, popularly known as black water and eye pressure, is an insidiously progressive disease. If left untreated, the disease causes loss of vision and leads to increased fluid pressure in the eye.
What is Glaucoma (Eye Pressure)?
Healthy people have a fluid called aqueous fluid inside their eyeballs. These fluids in the eyeball leave the eyeball simultaneously and keep the pressure inside the eyeball constant. However, if there is any microscopic blockage in the channels where the aqueous fluid leaves the eyeball, the fluid begins to accumulate inside the eyeball and the pressure on the optic nerves increases. This can cause irreversible damage to the optic nerves in the future.
Since glaucoma progresses insidiously without any symptoms, it is especially detected in people over the age of 40 during routine eye scans or when examined for other eye-related diseases.
On the other hand, the diagnosis of glaucoma It is not enough for the pressure inside the eyeball to be increased for it to be received. There must also be damage to the optic nerves and visual field loss.
Who Has Eye Pressure?
Since some factors increase the risk of eye pressure, people with these factors should have regular eye examinations and have their eye pressure measured. Among the group predisposed to eye pressure are the following.
- Eye injuries
- Receiving long-term cortisone therapy,
- Myopia defect,
- Diabetes,
- Smoking,
- Genetic predisposition,
- Advanced age
Is Eye Pressure Completely Healed?
When glaucoma is diagnosed, the nerve damage that has already occurred cannot be reversed. Because the nervous system in our body is the most developed organ of the body, it lacks the ability to regenerate itself.
Glaucoma treatment aims to prevent further aggravation of existing damage and further loss of vision.
Glaucoma Symptoms
Glaucoma is a disease that progresses insidiously without any symptoms, especially in its early stages, and therefore often causes nerve damage. Among the symptoms seen in the advanced stage of the disease are the following.
- Headache
- Pain around the eyes,
- Temporary blurred vision due to increased pressure during the day,
- The appearance of rings around the lights,
- Feeling of stiffness in the eye,
- Pain sensation when pressing on the eye,
- Painful red eye seen in patients with angle-closure glaucoma,
- Congenital glaucoma patients with large eyes and size difference between the eyes,
How is Glaucoma Diagnosed?
An eye examination is necessary to diagnose glaucoma. During eye examinations to diagnose glaucoma, ophthalmologists first use a device called a tonometer to measure the intraocular pressure of patients. Afterwards, an ophthalmologic examination is performed to examine the visual nerves.
If your ophthalmologist deems it appropriate, he or she will perform visual field tests. Finally, examinations such as RNFL, HRT or NFA are performed to assess the condition of the visual nerves and neural networks.
Why Early Diagnosis is Important in Glaucoma?
Since vision loss caused by glaucoma is irreversible, early detection of the disease is extremely important. The first symptom of glaucoma is an increase in pressure inside the eyeball, which can be seen during eye examinations. When this condition is noticed in the patient, regular controls should be performed at regular intervals. This way, the disease can be diagnosed at an early stage.
Glaucoma Treatment
In addition to medication, surgical methods and laser treatment are also used in the treatment of glaucoma.
Medication Therapy
Eye drops are used to reduce intraocular pressure in the treatment of glaucoma. Physicians decide how often and in what doses eye drops should be used. However, daily use of eye drops to reduce the pressure is an important part of the treatment. In addition, using the drops at the same time every day makes the treatment more effective.
Surgical and Laser Treatment
In cases where drug treatment is inadequate, patients may undergo surgical interventions. Some patients may require more than one operation to achieve success.
Points to be Considered by Patients in Glaucoma Treatment
Patients who use eye drops to treat glaucoma should use them at the same time every day. In this way, both the use of medication is not forgotten and a more effective intraocular pressure reduction is achieved.
Glaucoma Eye drops used in the treatment of eye drops have some side effects. These side effects may include palpitations and respiratory distress. In case of side effects, you should consult your ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Your ophthalmologist will replace your drops with a different eye drop.
Glaucoma patients should have regular and uninterrupted eye checks. For this reason, you should go for check-ups at the intervals recommended by your doctor.
If you have a systemic condition and take medication regularly, you should discuss this with your ophthalmologist. It is important that the medicines you use do not interact with the eye drops recommended by your doctor.
When you consult a doctor other than your ophthalmologist, you must inform him/her that you have glaucoma and the treatment you are receiving.
The progression of visual field loss caused by glaucoma needs to be constantly monitored. For this reason, you should have your visual field loss tests at the intervals recommended by your ophthalmologist.
Glaucoma is a progressive and lifelong disease. For this reason, treatment should be lifelong and meticulous.
