Medical Advices Blog

The treatment is different depending on whether the glaucoma is open angle or closed angle. It will also vary depending on how advanced the glaucoma at the time of diagnosis.

Not very advanced cases can be treated medically. More advanced cases may be treated with either laser or surgically.

Medical treatment

There are plenty of drugs in eye drops that help decrease intraocular pressure: These drops can be combined to achieve a greater decrease in pressure.

- Beta blockers: These drops are used twice a day. Reduce the amount of fluid produced in the eye. In people with asthma or heart disease these drops are contraindicated.- Prostaglandin-type drugs: these drops are given once daily in the evening. Are relatively new and very effective. Increase the drainage of aqueous humor. The best known side effect of these drops is that they can darken the eye color and grow eyelashes. Should be avoided in patients with a history of intraocular inflammation.

- Alpha-agonists, administered twice a day and usually well tolerated. Decrease production of aqueous humor at the same time to facilitate his departure from the eye. This treatment is not advisable in patients taking antidepressant drugs.

- Parasympathomimetic: they are one of the first drops were used for the treatment of glaucoma, but is now typically used less due to the advantages offered over other recent drops, already mentioned. Often used four times a day and increase the flow of fluid out of the eye. These drops cause a reduction in the size of the pupil. They can cause headache.

- Pills inhibiting a protein (enzyme) of the eye called carbonic anhydrase, can be administered in pills, but usually as a temporary solution, since they have many side effects such as nausea, tiredness, tingling in the fingers and sometimes, if used for an extended period, a tendency to produce kidney stones. There are also other inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase latest drops. These are given twice a day and decrease the production of fluid in the eye. They are contraindicated in patients with known allergy to sulfa drugs.

Laser Treatment

This treatment called trabeculoplasty is performed with an argon laser type or type Neodymium Yag. It is used in very advanced cases, usually in order to reduce the number of droplets must be patient. The laser is applied to the area through which the aqueous humor leaves the eye. The effect of this treatment may be temporary and therefore may not be suitable as a long term solution.

Surgical

Advanced cases are treated surgically. The operation called trabeculectomy used allows drainage of fluid from the inside of the eye. The objective of this intervention is to stabilize the development of glaucoma and vision back because the damage caused by glaucoma can not be rehabilitated in any way today. Among the complications of this intervention include: temporary reduction in vision after the operation (usually recover) intraocular infections, excessive lowering of eye pressure and cataract formation that must be operated if vision decreases significantly.

There are other surgical techniques aimed at reducing production of aqueous humor (ciclodestruction) or to facilitate their departure (deep sclerectomy, implants bypass, etc.)..

credit to: Dr. José María Martínez de la Casa, Dra. Caroline MacEwen