Glaucoma

GLAUCOMA SURGERY IN LUCKNOW

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. Around 2% of the population suffers from this disorder. Unlike cataracts, visual loss caused by Glaucoma is not reversible. However, according to the best glaucoma specialist in Lucknow, visual loss can be prevented if Glaucoma is diagnosed and treated early.

WHAT IS GLAUCOMA?

Glaucoma is a disease in which your optic nerve (the nerve that transmits visual information to the brain) is damaged because of changes in the pressure inside your eyes. It may be two kinds: Open Angle and Angle Closure (Acute).

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF GLAUCOMA?

The passages in your eye that normally drain the fluid out of your eyes become clogged. This pent-up fluid now raises the pressure in your eye causing damage to the optic nerve leading to loss of vision. An injury, infection, or tumor in or around your eye can also cause the pressure to rise. According to a glaucoma specialist in Lucknow, the following factors put you at risk:

Having a family history of Glaucoma
Near-sightedness
Diabetes
High blood pressure or other diseases of the blood vessels
Long term steroid use
Above the age of 40 years

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF GLAUCOMA?

Usually, Glaucoma is asymptomatic, but the following symptoms can be present in various cases:

Heaviness or headache
Gradual darkening at the outer edge of vision
The appearance of colored rings around lights
Pain and redness in eyes

CAN GLAUCOMA EXIST EVEN IF THE PATIENT FEELS HIS VISION IS NORMAL?

Glaucoma specialist in Lucknow says that Glaucoma affects the peripheral vision first, i.e., the top, sides, and bottom areas of vision, and finally, the central vision is affected. So the patient may feel that his vision is normal. Eventually, the patient gets tube vision.

WHAT IS OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA?

It is the most common type that occurs even though the drainage is normal. This is why everyone should have an eye examination after 40 years of age.

WHAT IS ANGLE-CLOSURE GLAUCOMA?

Here the drainage angle is narrow, and this can lead to increased intraocular pressure. Sometimes this angle may get closed, leading to a sudden high rise in intraocular pressure called acute angle closer Glaucoma, a painful condition. It needs emergency medical treatment followed by a laser procedure.

WHAT IS NORMAL TENSION GLAUCOMA?

It is a form of Glaucoma in which optic nerve damage occurs even though intraocular pressure is within normal range.

WHAT IS SECONDARY GLAUCOMA?

Secondary Glaucoma can occur due to other disease processes in the eye or treatment of other eye conditions.

HOW IS GLAUCOMA DIAGNOSED?

Usually, Glaucoma is discovered during routine eye examination. The tests used to diagnose and monitor progression of Glaucoma include.

Tonometry: To measure intraocular pressure
Gonioscopy: To view the angle structure of the eye
Ophthalmoscopy: To view the optic nerve head changes
Pachymetry: To check the corneal thickness
Perimetry / Visual Fields Test: To map the field of vision of each eye
OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography): to analyse in detail optic nerve changes, retinal nerve fibre layer loss , ganglion cell layer loss in all stages of Glaucoma.

WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE?

Medication: This includes eye drops which have to be used permanently as advised by the doctor. These either decrease fluid production in the eye or increase the drainage of fluid from the eye. Thus leading to a decrease in intraocular pressure.
Laser: Special laser is used to create a bypass channel for fluid communication between the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye.
Surgery: Glaucoma surgery is the last resort treatment recommended only when eye drops can no longer control intraocular pressure.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF RECOVERY?

If one has open-angle Glaucoma, proper treatment greatly decreases one’s risk of vision loss. On the other hand, if one has angle-closure Glaucoma and is neglected, one can become blind in that eye in 2 days or less. A typical glaucoma surgery in Lucknow that is done timely can return one’s vision to almost the previous level.

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