What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is the most common and insidious disease leading to complete and irreversible loss of vision. In glaucoma, buildup of fluid inside the eye increases the pressure in your eye, causing the damage or even destruction of the optic nerve. If the process is not timely stopped, it would be impossible to restore the visual function. But the process detected in its early stages can be stopped and vision can be preserved in case of proper treatment and adherence to medical recommendations.
What is the cause of glaucoma?
There is no single opinion in relation to the origin of this disease. As mentioned above, increased pressure in the eye is one of the main reasons for visual impairment. However, there are cases when glaucoma occurred in patients who had no increased intraocular pressure.
Types of glaucoma
There are two basic types of glaucoma.
Closed-angle glaucoma is a condition in which the pressure inside of your eye becomes too high. The patient complaints of a sensation of heaviness in the eyes, pain in the temple area and supercilium, discomfort, visual blur, halos around lights. Closed-angle glaucoma can be accompanied by sudden increase of intraocular pressure and vision impairment (an acute attack).
On the contrary, open-angle glaucoma can be very subtle. First, a person has no complaints, and then suddenly blindness of one eye develops. That’s why we say that the disease is insidious. It is subtle and detected accidentally when intraocular pressure is measured by an ophthalmologist. Open-angle glaucoma usually affects both eyes. The basic symptoms include tunnel vision and vision impairment at night. They develop in the late stages of the disease when the optic nerve is almost atrophied.
What is the treatment of glaucoma?
After the diagnosis was confirmed, qualitative treatment is needed. It will slow down degeneration of the optic nerve. Intraocular pressure needs to be normalized as soon as possible.
It must be understood that restoring the lost vision is already impossible. However, its further decrease can be prevented. Treatment will last for life.
Can the disease be avoided?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to prevent glaucoma but paying attention to your sensations in the eye and having regular medical examinations of the eye, especially in people over 40, or in case of family history of glaucoma. It is always easier to prevent a disease than to restore vision later.
E. A. Egorov
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (RANS) and Russian Academy
of Medical Technology (RAMT), head of the department of ophthalmology named after Academician A. P. Nesterov, department of general
medicine, Pirogov Russian Medical University
- High physical activity and sudden change of temperature are contraindicated in glaucoma. Patients are advised to avoid hypothermia due to disturbed vascular regulation.
- Walking in the fresh air, slight physical activity, respiratory gymnastics, and general conditioning are recommended.
- In summer, sunglasses should be used when the sun is bright to protect the retina from the devastating UV radiation.
- At home, the patients need avoid a rush of blood to the head during mopping, gardening, laundering, etc.
- Use glasses while driving and never drive in the twilight or at night.
- Proper (milk- and plant-based) diet and a complex of vitamins and minerals produce a favorable effect on the optic nerve.
- Alcohol abuse is strictly forbidden!
Potential adverse effects and complications:
cataract, malignant glaucoma, hyphema, hypotinia, ciliochorioidal detachments, macolupathy, expulsive bleeding, inflammation in the eye, loss of vision, eye loss.
Requirement to diet and limitations:
as consulted.
Requirements to labor, rest and rehabilitation:
the patients are disabled for 2 weeks (or 3 weeks after the surgery).
Limit your physical load, stress, work at night, water diet, and stimulating drinks.
Standard medical examination – control of intraocular pressure, vision acuity, vision field, optic nerve, topographical values, adherence to doctor’s recommendations.
E. A. Egorov
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (RANS) and Russian Academy
of Medical Technology (RAMT),head of the department of ophthalmology named after Academician A. P. Nesterov, department of general
medicine, Pirogov Russian Medical University
