what is glaucoma?

what is glaucoma?

what is glaucoma

The term "what is glaucoma" (in Greek, - the green color of the sea) is found in the works of Hippocrates, dating from the 400th BC. However, the current understanding of glaucoma began to take shape only in the middle of the IX century. Currently, the term "glaucoma" brings together a rather large group of diseases, often from different backgrounds and with the different current. So far there is no consensus about what is the cause of the onset of illness. However, in the absence of treatment outcome in these seemingly very different diseases, one - atrophy of the optic nerve and blindness.

Glaucoma can occur at any age, but most often this disease occurs in the elderly.
Glaucoma - an irreversible disease. It is very important time to begin treatment. Ophthalmologists pay attention to the fact that glaucoma is the possible and sudden loss of vision as a result of an acute attack of glaucoma.

symptoms of what is glaucoma?

Most often people with glaucoma feel blurred vision, pain, pain, feeling of heaviness in the eyes, narrowing the field of view. Significantly deteriorating eyesight in the dark. When looking at a bright light before the eyes appear "bright circles."

The forms of glaucoma:

Open-angle glaucoma.
Angle-closure glaucoma.

Open-angle glaucoma is more than 90% of cases of glaucoma. In open-angle glaucoma access to the natural drainage system is open, but its functions are disrupted. The result - a gradual increase in intraocular pressure. Typically, open-angle glaucoma is characterized by an asymptomatic, nearly imperceptible disease course. Since the field of view is narrowed gradually (the process may take several years), people sometimes accidentally discovers that he sees only one eye. In some cases, you can identify the complaints against the periodic appearance of bright circles when looking at the light source, "blurred", asthenopic complaints related to the weakening accommodation.

In form-closure glaucoma, intraocular fluid accumulates due to the fact that there is no access to the natural drainage system of the eye - the iris covers the angle of the anterior chamber. As a result, the pressure increases, and this can lead to an acute attack of glaucoma, which is accompanied by:

sharp pain in the eye and in the corresponding half of the head;
clear visual disturbances (blurred vision, or a sudden decrease until total blindness);
eye redness (dilation of the anterior segment of the eyeball), corneal edema, reducing the depth of the anterior chamber, pupil dilation, and its absence of reaction to light;
the appearance of halos around lights.

Diagnosing glaucoma

To identify the onset of the disease, a simple measurement of intraocular pressure is not sufficient. It is necessary to study in detail the fundus and optic disc, as well as to conduct a study of the field of view, that is, you need a thorough diagnostic examination.

In ophthalmology, "Excimer" clinic examination is performed using a whole range of modern equipment and kompyutezirovannogo includes:

the research field of view (with the help of computer perimeter);
measurement of refraction (eye optical system's ability to refract light rays);
measurement of intraocular pressure;
ultrasound;
determining anterior chamber depth and lens thickness (as they often cause a high pressure is its offset or increase in size);
using gonioscopy estimated structure of the anterior chamber angle, through which the outflow of fluid from the eye.
Also during the diagnostic examination must be conducted on the analyzer funds - a unique instrument (their units in Russia), and on the computer perimeter. This allows you to identify the initial symptoms that occur before the earliest changes in the field of view and stop the ongoing process in time.

what is glaucoma Treatment

Depending on the form, stage, comorbidity in clinics 'Excimer' you will pick up an individual treatment program. Medications are mainly aimed at reducing the intraocular pressure. But it is important to remember that the drops do not restore the balance of fluids in the eye, but only artificially support it.

With regard to surgical treatment, surgery penetrating deep splenectomy (NDSE) allows you to restore the natural balance of fluids in the eye in open forms of glaucoma.

When closure forms are used as traditional surgery and removal of the transparent lens with implantation of intraocular lens (the lens by the magnitude value of the eye).

Glaucoma - eye disease, the cause of which is increased intraocular pressure. If the eye pressure in glaucoma time does not reduce to normal, the optic nerve can die, which leads to irreversible blindness.

Glaucoma - What is the danger high intraocular pressure in glaucoma?

A healthy eye has a constant intraocular pressure (18-22 mm. Hg. Art.), Due to the balance of inflow and outflow of fluid. In glaucoma, the fluid circulation in the eye broken, it accumulates, and the intraocular pressure begins to rise. At the same time, the optic nerve and other structures of the eye are experiencing increased stress, the blood supply to the eye is suffering.

As a result suffers from glaucoma visual function of the eye. In the beginning, people just beginning to see worse, then disrupted peripheral vision, limited visibility in the area and eventually blindness can occur. And these changes are irreversible, so it is the important to time to begin treatment of glaucoma. When glaucoma is and sudden loss of vision.

what is glaucoma - What you should know about glaucoma

Glaucoma is insidious - it creeps up unnoticed for long periods can lead hidden work of destruction, then to break out of sudden, seemingly a disaster. Untreated, glaucoma launched inevitably leads to loss of vision and blindness. The eye does not distinguish light, can cause severe pain, and then there is no choice but to remove it. With this in mind, you will surely not be lazy prophylactically to visit an ophthalmologist's office and check the condition of your eyes.

Young people suffer from glaucoma is rare, it usually develops after 40 years. If you are in this age - preventive care is necessary. By the development of glaucoma predispose diabetes and atherosclerosis. People suffering from these diseases should pay particular attention to the protection of vision. Established genetic predisposition to glaucoma. If any of your blood relatives suffered from glaucoma, or sick, you are at increased risk.

The essence of this disease consists in a batch or continuous increase in intraocular pressure. Why did it rise? Imagine the events taking place day and night in your eye: every minute of it comes about two cubic millimeters of moisture, and the same should flow away. The value of the intraocular pressure is determined by the balance of inflows and outflows, and the glaucoma drain is broken, the excess moisture remains in the eye, and the pressure increases. The fact that the moisture flows off at a special drainage system consisting of a porous diaphragm which is located in a corner of the anterior chamber, and the microscopic tubules diverting moisture after filtration through a diaphragm in the small blood vessels on the surface of the eye. Increased pressure pinched, deforms the fluid outflow path, which contributes to the further rise in IOP.

You can not feel high blood pressure, but it does not become less dangerous by this. The higher the pressure, the longer it persists at high levels, the greater the suffering optic nerve. Gradually it comes atrophy, he withers, dies. And with him dies vision. The normal intraocular pressure in the range of 9 to 22 mm. Hg. Art. But if you measured the pressure tonometer of Maklakov and it turned out to be slightly higher - do not panic! At the moment of measuring blood pressure cuff (sinker) presses on the eye, which improves performance. The so-called tonometric pressure is considered normal within 17-26 mm. Hg. Art.

Having established glaucoma, the doctor usually calls you and its form - the open-and-closure. The difference between them - in the mechanism increases the pressure. In angle-closure glaucoma, disease occurs when the peripheral iris department closes the angle of the anterior chamber, which hinders access to the fluid drainage system. Having no outlet, it accumulates in the eye, and the intraocular pressure rises. In open form of access to the drain system is open, but its own filtering ability compromised, and therefore moisture again hardly flows away from the eye. The end result is the same - increased intraocular pressure.

Open-form "worse", perhaps only the fact that it is particularly long asymptomatic and is detected in the later stages. Zakratougolnaya more honest - with a strong increase in pressure, it can declare itself an acute attack: there is the pain in the eyebrow arch, temple, startled eyes as though veiled in mist when looking at a lamp or other light sources appear iridescent circles.

The attack may be stronger and weaker, more often it occurs in the evening. So, the doctor need to rush immediately! There's also a mixed form of glaucoma, and when there is a partial blockage of the angle of the anterior chamber, and the deterioration of the filtration capacity of the drainage system.

In the conclusion, that you will write the doctor may be letters A, B, C. It is indicated by the level of intraocular pressure: A - in the normal range, B - moderately elevated (.. Up to 33 mm Hg), C -

Fully cured the disease is almost impossible - it is chronic. But at the time begun correct and consistent treatment of glaucoma can pause and keep good eyesight. Tune into the confrontation of the disease, which means that at the precise, accurate, patient execution of doctor's appointments. The mainstay of treatment - means of reducing the intraocular pressure. As a rule, it is eye drops, and it is likely that you will have to bury them forever. can go to the rank of "burnt-out" with age glaucoma - this means that vision is maintained within certain limits, the pressure is stabilized, so the need to constantly lowering it no longer: But you have a chance.

installation technique is simple, you can easily learn it themselves, and very soon the procedure will be as familiar as, say, brushing your teeth in the mornings and evenings. So, look up the index finger of one hand, pull the lower eyelid, and bury a different medicine. Conjunctiva accommodates only a single spot and no longer required. Bury Second, if you are not sure of the exact hit. Try not to touch the tip of the pipette and eyelash eyeball, not to disturb the sterility of the drug and not to injure the eye. However, the majority of bottles of eye drops are now fitted with plastic droppers with injury prevention tip. If you are appointed as pilocarpine note - in what form. The aqueous solution should be instilled 3-4 times a day, and long-acting solutions (methylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol) - only 2-3 times a day.

For the treatment of all types of glaucoma are now widely used timolol maleate. In pharmacies, the drug is under different names: often timolol, ok used, ti mop tip. Timolol is not only effective but also easy to use - it is usually buried only 1-2 times a day. The shelf life of eye drops factory production -not less than 2 years, but you can not use more than a month after a vial has been opened by them. Cooked in a drugstore have a short shelf life - 7 days from the date of preparation. Keep the vial opening to those other possible drops at room temperature in a dark place, and after opening - in the refrigerator. As with any medication, eye drops can have side effects and. For example, clonidine (clonidine), reducing the intraocular pressure, and can simultaneously reduce the overall blood that hypotonic for example, undesirable.

Possible increased sensitivity to a particular drug, and then immediately after installation of a sense of burning, discomfort, eyes may be red, and sometimes headache begins, quickens the heartbeat, arrhythmia occurs. Such feelings need to be sure to tell the doctor and he will select another tool or advise how to mitigate the resulting complications. Ophthalmology important information and about what you are suffering from chronic diseases. Because some eye drops are contraindicated in diabetes, asthma, chronic lung disease, heart failure. Such patients are usually prescribed betaxolol (Betoptik).

In the treatment of glaucoma used not only eye drops but also medicines taken by mouth, for example, acetazolamide (dink arb). This drug, which reduces the production of intraocular fluid, and has a mild diuretic effect, and washed with urine potassium, necessary for the heart. Therefore, together with Dia Kar BOM usually prescribed potassium orotate, Patagium. Try and enrich your diet foods that contain a lot of potassium. This baked potatoes, apricots, squash, bananas. Inside a 50% solution of glycerol and accept. To improve the taste of it can be diluted fruit juice, add citric acid. This drug is usually prescribed for an acute attack of glaucoma. If you started this attack, and quickly get to the doctor is impossible and glycerol on hand either, use a saline laxative, such as magnesium sulfate ( "Epsom salt"), a solution of about 30 g (full tablespoon) 1 / ^ cups of water. The range of drug treatment of glaucoma and includes tools to improve cerebral blood circulation, stimulate the metabolism, -trental, vinpocetine, canton, multivitamins. Perhaps you are taking such medications as directed physician or neurologist - tell us about this eye doctor, so that he could correct the treatment.

If you will be offered physiotherapy, in particular, stimulation of the retina and optic nerve by using weak electric currents or magnetic fields, easy go to these procedures! They are effective and completely safe. Treat with confidence and to surgical methods - surgery may be your salvation in a situation where other means have been exhausted. Surgical intervention in glaucoma is now well developed, produced quickly and painlessly. Do not postpone the operation - in the treatment of glaucoma in a hurry! The course of the disease depends on your lifestyle.