Treatments for Glaucoma
Glaucoma is one of the many eye conditions that we diagnose and treat at Œil Santé MD.
About
Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that slowly causes the loss of vision by damaging the optic nerve, the eye’s main nerve. The optic nerve carries images from the back of the eye to the brain, like a telephone cable. Without treatment, glaucoma can lead to permanent blindness in one or both eyes.
In general, glaucoma starts by impacting peripheral (side) vision, and then slowly spreads. It often causes no pain and a person’s central vision can be preserved for years, despite having this condition. It’s therefore often impossible to know how early the glaucoma development is.
In less common cases, the onset of glaucoma can be more sudden, and accompanied by dramatic symptoms, like blurry vision, eye pain, halos, and nausea. This is often considered a medical emergency and may require immediate attention.
Symptoms
- Eye redness
- Halos around lights
- Nausea or vomiting
- Blurred or hazy vision
- Severe eye pain or headache
- Difficulty adjusting to low light conditions
- Gradual loss of peripheral vision (also known as tunnel vision)
- Patchy blind spots in the central or peripheral vision
- Eye discomfort or the sensation of pressure in the eyes
- Vision loss that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses
It's important to note that, in many cases, glaucoma doesn't cause noticeable symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage. Regular eye exams are crucial for early detection and treatment.
Diagnosis
To diagnose glaucoma, you’ll need to undergo a comprehensive evaluation that may include:
- Examining the optic nerve
- Measuring corneal thickness
- Measuring intraocular pressure
- Conducting visual field testing
- Completing advanced imaging tests, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT)
The information provided by these tests can allow our ophthalmologists to make an accurate diagnosis and recommend treatment options best suited to your needs.
Treatment
In general, treatment options for glaucoma work by lowering pressure inside the eye to reduce damage to the option nerve. It often begins with laser treatment or eye drops, which can be prescribed by an ophthalmologist and must be taken at regular intervals during the day.
If eye drops aren’t enough to reduce eye pressure, you may be recommended to undergo surgery or laser therapy. Both of these treatment options work to drain fluid from the eye, thereby alleviating pressure.