When it comes to treatment options for glaucoma, there are many different paths you can take. Currently, the only viable treatment option in most instances is eye drops, regardless of what type of disease it is.
But an even more holistic objective of treatment is actually to halt the progression of glaucoma through a course of treatment that doesn’t disrupt the patient daily lifestyle and has very few side effects. Even so, a majority of glaucoma patients find they still require ongoing medical attention.
What are some treatment options for glaucoma? Which ones are the best? Glaucoma is usually first detected via a visual field examination. It is determined that drainage from the optic nerve fiber layer of the optic nerve itself has progressed toward a severe vision loss.
The visual field examination can be conducted through the use of a laser-eye examination, pricked eye, or with the use of a pinhole camera. As a result, when glaucoma patients arrive at the emergency room they will most likely be given a list of potential treatment options.
In the vast majority of cases, surgery for glaucoma is the only option available. This type of surgery, called Open High-Pressure Laser Therapy, is designed to open the blood vessels in the eye to increase the intraocular pressure (IOP), which causes pressure on the optic nerve.
The results of this treatment can be quite dramatic as the pressure is brought under control and the vision returns. However, patients need to bear in mind that this type of laser eye treatment may have serious side effects.
There are other treatment options for glaucoma. For many patients, there are various medications that may help to control eye pressure. These medications include eye drops and oral medications. Some patients may want to try a combination of medications in order to find relief from the pressure and to eliminate any side effects.
Before taking any medications it is wise to discuss them with your eye doctor. Many physicians also recommend that open-angle glaucoma patients undergo an ocular examination to determine the degree of the angle at which the angle is open.
Patients who experience severe open-angle glaucoma have a greater chance of developing serious vision loss over time. The angle at which the eye Exam is performed is normally performed on the top of the head.
The purpose of the eye exam is to determine if the patient is suffering from any medical condition that may lead to vision loss. In some instances, the eye exam is called for when an ophthalmologist suspects that the patient has glaucoma.
If you are having an eye exam, and you are having glaucoma symptoms, it is important that you discuss the matter with your eye doctor and that you ask all questions that you may have about the procedure. There are several treatment options for open-angle glaucoma; the treatment depends on how much vision is lost and how fast the vision is lost.
Treatment includes eye muscle surgery to open the angle; eye injections to increase eye fluid removal; laser eye surgery to treat glaucoma or to attempt to control the eye pressure, and surgery to repair damage to the optic nerve caused by the disease.
These treatments can be effective for controlling eye pressure and eliminating some of the symptoms of the disease. However, they often fail to restore normal vision in cases where the disease has progressed far beyond the stage that is already treatable.
As an example, in cases where laser eye surgery is indicated, treatment options include excimer laser therapy, intraocular laser therapy, and anterior chamber-opacity laser therapy. In cases where no effective treatment options for closed angle-closure glaucoma exist, the disease may progress and result in severe vision loss.
In this case, the only option for treatment would be to have an invasive surgical procedure to eliminate or prevent any further progress of the disease. It should be noted that patients should be fully aware of the side effects of any procedure before they agree to have such a procedure performed.
Medications are also available as treatment options for glaucoma, although these are rarely used and most often used in cases where vision has regressed. Many people prefer to treat their glaucoma through the use of eye pressure medications rather than surgery or laser treatment. For more specifics, visit their website. You surely won’t regret it!
Some of the common medications used for treating eye pressure are beta-blockers and diuretics. Other medications such as sedatives can help to treat and control eye pressure. Some patients may not respond favorably to medication treatments, in which case surgery might be an appropriate treatment option.
