3 Common Treatment Options For Glaucoma

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Glaucoma is an eye disease that progressively damages the optic nerve and can lead to blindness if not detected early and treated properly. The symptoms of glaucoma are not always easy to detect, but people with glaucoma typically have high intraocular pressure; eye pressure is typically measured during routine eye exams. If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma, you will need to see an ophthalmologist and carefully follow the prescribed treatment plan in order to protect your vision. Common treatments for glaucoma include:

Eye Drops

After being diagnosed with glaucoma, you will most likely be prescribed eye drops to help control the condition. Since the eye drops used to treat glaucoma are eventually absorbed into the blood stream, it is important to tell your ophthalmologist about any other prescription medications that you take to ensure that there are no adverse effects. Upon placing the drops in your eye there may be some discomfort and stinging, but these uncomfortable feelings should be very short lived. If you experience an extended period of pain or discomfort after administering your eye drops, consult your ophthalmologist.

Medication in Pill Form

If you administer your eye drops on schedule exactly as prescribed but still have high intraocular pressure, your ophthalmologist may determine that your treatment requires both drops and pills to get your eye pressure under control. After you begin taking the oral medication for glaucoma, you may notice that your eye is very dry since the medications used tend to decrease the amount of eye fluid produced. Your ophthalmologist will be able to tell you what you can use to combat eye dryness without affecting your prescription eye drops.

Laser Surgery

While eye drops and pills are the first line of defense for managing glaucoma, laser surgery may be required when medication is not enough to keep intraocular pressure at the proper level. Laser surgery for glaucoma is a short, painless procedure that typically takes on an outpatient basis at an eye surgery center or in an ophthalmologist's office if he or she has the necessary equipment.

There are several laser surgery techniques used to treat glaucoma-- the type you will need will depend on whether you have open-angle glaucoma or closed-angle glaucoma. The goal of each type of laser surgery for glaucoma is to subtly alter the drainage system of the eye so fluid can flow out easier, thus effectively reducing the level of intraocular pressure.

For more information, contact California Eye Specialists Medical Group Inc. or a similar organization.

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11 March 2016

Vision and Learning

Vision problems can be sneaky. When my daughter started having trouble in school, nobody thought that the problem could be with her vision. She wasn't complaining about not being able to see ; she was acting out instead. Plus, she could read the eye chart. It took a lot of trial and error to realize that while she could see, her eyes weren't working together correctly. She needed vision therapy to get herself back on track. I started this blog to share information with other concerned parents about how vision affects learning. Don't let a vision problem sneak by you and impact your child's education.