Medication and glaucoma eye surgery are two options for treating a condition which causes too much intraocular pressure and fluid buildup between the cornea and the iris. The cornea is the transparent membrane which protects the iris, the pigmented center of the eye. A commonly inherited disease, glaucoma affects people who have a family history of the condition, are over the age of 45, have been diagnosed with diabetes, or have failing eyesight. People with hypertension, or high blood pressure, are also at risk for developing visual impairment. As pressure and fluid builds, individuals experience damage to the optic nerve, resulting in a diminished capacity to see. Aside from genetic origins, the disorder can also result from blunt force trauma to the eye, severe infection and inflammation, or when blood vessels become blocked. Untreated, glaucoma can cause permanent blindness.
For reasons unknown, certain ethnic groups are more prone to the disorder than others, most notably African Americans, Hispanics, Japanese, Russians, Irish, and Scandinavians. While occurring less frequently, infants, children and young adults can also inherit the disease; but most are diagnosed later in life. Early detection via annual examinations by an ophthalmologist can prevent complications and glaucoma eye surgery. Physicians use tonometry, a relatively painless test, to assess the amount of intraocular pressure while patients' eyes are dilated. Checking the patient's visual field will also help the ophthalmologist gauge whether individuals have lost peripheral vision. Not having a spiritual vision, or knowledge of the will of God for one's life can not only lead to spiritual blindness, but also cause people to perish. "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" (Proverbs 29:18).
Glaucoma eye surgery may be prescribed for two types of the disorder: open-angle and angle-closure. The most common type of the disease, open- or wide-angle glaucoma, occurs when the aqueous humor, or fluid, fails to properly flow through the trabecular meshwork, a system which allows the eye to drain. Fewer cases of chronic or acute angle-closure disorders are diagnosed, which can be caused by a sudden buildup of pressure. Blunt force trauma or a chemical burn can cause a rapid buildup resulting in a narrowing of the angle between the iris and the cornea. Because this angle is too narrow, the flow of fluid is blocked, causing intraocular pressure to increase. Again, increased pressure constricts optic nerves and impairs vision.
Individuals with open-angle or angle-closure disorders may experience redness and pain in the eye, tunnel vision, vomiting and nausea, or begin seeing halos around lights. People may also lose the ability to see peripherally, or out of the corners of their eyes. Increased pressure can also cause headaches and blurred vision. Many people may dismiss blurred vision and pain, or attribute symptoms to the natural process of aging; however incidences of visual impairment, no matter how slight, should not be ignored. Because it is an inherited condition, detection and diagnosis may come too late and glaucoma eye surgery may be the only solution to save an individual's eyesight.
Before resorting to glaucoma eye surgery, ophthalmologists will administer medicinal eye drops to reduce fluid formation and increase drainage, which in some cases relieves symptoms. For severe cases and chronic pressure or narrowing, ophthalmologists may choose one of several surgical procedures: trabecloplasty, cyclophotocoagulation, or iridotomy. Each of these employs laser glaucoma surgery to increase drainage and eliminate blockage. A trebecloplasty uses a laser to increase the flow of fluid by pulling open the meshwork between the iris and the cornea. In cyclophotocoagulation, ophthalmologists target a laser beam at the cillary body to decrease fluid production. In an iridotomy, surgeons can also bore a microscopic hole into the iris to increase the flow of intraocular fluid and alleviate pressure buildup.
Options for glaucoma eye surgery also include a trabeculectomy, which creates a new outlet within the eye for improved drainage; or an implant to correct vision and alleviate pressure and buildup. The decision to undergo any type of surgery will be determined by the ophthalmologist's findings based on a tonometry or vision field test. The amount of blockage and pressure, the condition of blood vessels within the eye, and the extent to which the organ has been damaged are also factors in determining the patient's plan of care. While some conditions are reversible, glaucoma is not and there is no cure or measures individuals can take for prevention. Doctors recommend annual exams and visits to an ophthalmologist if symptoms should be present. Although by the time patients experience discomfort or visual impairment, the disease has already advanced. Medication and glaucoma eye surgery will only control the disorder and possibly prevent further deterioration and ultimately permanent blindness.
The best line of defense against glaucoma is to practice good vision care; protect the eyes by wearing goggles when engaging in sports, mowing the lawn, or working with power or hand tools; and monitor other health conditions. People are only born with one set of eyes and it pays to take care of them. Report redness, chronic pain, blurred vision, or a loss of peripheral vision to a family doctor or ophthalmologist; and keep a record of symptoms to help doctors determine if there has been any damage to optic nerves or build up of intraocular pressure. With proper medication and state-of-the-art glaucoma eye surgery, people who are diagnosed with the disease should be able to live long productive lives without the threat of losing their eyesight.
For reasons unknown, certain ethnic groups are more prone to the disorder than others, most notably African Americans, Hispanics, Japanese, Russians, Irish, and Scandinavians. While occurring less frequently, infants, children and young adults can also inherit the disease; but most are diagnosed later in life. Early detection via annual examinations by an ophthalmologist can prevent complications and glaucoma eye surgery. Physicians use tonometry, a relatively painless test, to assess the amount of intraocular pressure while patients' eyes are dilated. Checking the patient's visual field will also help the ophthalmologist gauge whether individuals have lost peripheral vision. Not having a spiritual vision, or knowledge of the will of God for one's life can not only lead to spiritual blindness, but also cause people to perish. "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" (Proverbs 29:18).
Glaucoma eye surgery may be prescribed for two types of the disorder: open-angle and angle-closure. The most common type of the disease, open- or wide-angle glaucoma, occurs when the aqueous humor, or fluid, fails to properly flow through the trabecular meshwork, a system which allows the eye to drain. Fewer cases of chronic or acute angle-closure disorders are diagnosed, which can be caused by a sudden buildup of pressure. Blunt force trauma or a chemical burn can cause a rapid buildup resulting in a narrowing of the angle between the iris and the cornea. Because this angle is too narrow, the flow of fluid is blocked, causing intraocular pressure to increase. Again, increased pressure constricts optic nerves and impairs vision.
Individuals with open-angle or angle-closure disorders may experience redness and pain in the eye, tunnel vision, vomiting and nausea, or begin seeing halos around lights. People may also lose the ability to see peripherally, or out of the corners of their eyes. Increased pressure can also cause headaches and blurred vision. Many people may dismiss blurred vision and pain, or attribute symptoms to the natural process of aging; however incidences of visual impairment, no matter how slight, should not be ignored. Because it is an inherited condition, detection and diagnosis may come too late and glaucoma eye surgery may be the only solution to save an individual's eyesight.
Before resorting to glaucoma eye surgery, ophthalmologists will administer medicinal eye drops to reduce fluid formation and increase drainage, which in some cases relieves symptoms. For severe cases and chronic pressure or narrowing, ophthalmologists may choose one of several surgical procedures: trabecloplasty, cyclophotocoagulation, or iridotomy. Each of these employs laser glaucoma surgery to increase drainage and eliminate blockage. A trebecloplasty uses a laser to increase the flow of fluid by pulling open the meshwork between the iris and the cornea. In cyclophotocoagulation, ophthalmologists target a laser beam at the cillary body to decrease fluid production. In an iridotomy, surgeons can also bore a microscopic hole into the iris to increase the flow of intraocular fluid and alleviate pressure buildup.
Options for glaucoma eye surgery also include a trabeculectomy, which creates a new outlet within the eye for improved drainage; or an implant to correct vision and alleviate pressure and buildup. The decision to undergo any type of surgery will be determined by the ophthalmologist's findings based on a tonometry or vision field test. The amount of blockage and pressure, the condition of blood vessels within the eye, and the extent to which the organ has been damaged are also factors in determining the patient's plan of care. While some conditions are reversible, glaucoma is not and there is no cure or measures individuals can take for prevention. Doctors recommend annual exams and visits to an ophthalmologist if symptoms should be present. Although by the time patients experience discomfort or visual impairment, the disease has already advanced. Medication and glaucoma eye surgery will only control the disorder and possibly prevent further deterioration and ultimately permanent blindness.
The best line of defense against glaucoma is to practice good vision care; protect the eyes by wearing goggles when engaging in sports, mowing the lawn, or working with power or hand tools; and monitor other health conditions. People are only born with one set of eyes and it pays to take care of them. Report redness, chronic pain, blurred vision, or a loss of peripheral vision to a family doctor or ophthalmologist; and keep a record of symptoms to help doctors determine if there has been any damage to optic nerves or build up of intraocular pressure. With proper medication and state-of-the-art glaucoma eye surgery, people who are diagnosed with the disease should be able to live long productive lives without the threat of losing their eyesight.
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