Importance of Early Glaucoma Detection and Treatment

Treatment can alleviate the symptoms of the most prevalent type of glaucoma and save a person's sight. The catch is that because a person cannot feel variations in ocular pressure that can harm vision, they frequently do not realize they have it until it is too late. Unless they've been seeing an eye doctor regularly. One vision expert advises patients to seek regular health care rather than waiting for the pressure to damage the optic nerve. "Some people say they don't need glasses, so they don't need to see an eye doctor," said Dr. Tara O'Rourke, an optometrist at Penn State Health Eye Center. "It's important for everyone to have yearly eye exams to monitor the health of the eye, especially for patients over the age of 50."

Importance of Early Detection of Glaucoma

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 3 million Americans suffer from glaucoma. The illness is the world's second-largest cause of blindness. Half of patients with the most prevalent kind, open-angle glaucoma, are unaware of their condition (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
At a glance: Glaucoma

Go to source). The small tubes that naturally drain away eye fluid get clogged in open-angle glaucoma.

"The exact cause or mechanism of open-angle glaucoma is unknown at this time. We can manage the eye pressure, but do not have a cure for the disease," O'Rourke said in a center news release. However, treatment can control glaucoma.

Both heredity and age might play a role in the illness. O'Rourke suggests that adults over the age of 50 get tested for glaucoma at least once a year, even if they have perfect eyesight. Anyone who has a family member with glaucoma should get tested sooner.

Some people report pain, blurry vision, and light sensitivity, but many people have no symptoms at the start of the condition. Rather, individuals have irreversible slow progressive peripheral vision loss. Without treatment, patients with this illness will eventually lose their vision. However, glaucoma is treatable, particularly in the early stages.

Diagnosing Glaucoma: Ocular Pressure Tests and Treatment Options

Doctors use ocular pressure tests to diagnose glaucoma. Normal pressure ranges from 10 to 21 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Any value more than 21 indicates the need for additional testing. A puff test is a popular procedure in which a machine blows a puff of air into a patient's eye.

O'Rourke stated that she often employs a Goldmann applanation tonometer. An eye drop numbs the eye before the gadget softly taps or rests on the front surface of the eye to obtain a better reading.

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Eyedrops are a popular treatment that must be continued indefinitely. various drops will have various impacts. Some drops reduce fluid output. Others contribute to the increased fluid output.

Oral drugs can also reduce eye pressure, and laser therapy can improve fluid outflow through the eye's drainage system. Medication will almost always be required to maintain the pressure.

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Surgical treatments include the placement of small tubes known as stents. These tubes aid in the removal of fluid from the eye. For certain patients, this may occur along with cataract surgery.

Reference:

1. At a glance: Glaucoma - (https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma)

Source-Medindia