Glaucoma is a disease that can result in vision loss if not diagnosed and treated early. Therefore, regular eye check-ups to monitor eye pressure should be conducted annually.
Glaucoma is a term used for a range of conditions that damage the optic nerve. The primary cause of glaucoma is elevated intraocular pressure. In cases where there is disruption in the circulation of the optic nerve, tissue weakness, or structural abnormalities, the optic nerve can become more sensitive to pressure.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
- Headaches that worsen in the morning
- Occasional blurred vision
- Seeing light halos around lights at night
- Pain around the eyes while watching television
What Factors Increase the Risk of Glaucoma?
- A family history of glaucoma (genetic predisposition)
- Being over the age of 35
- Diabetes
- Severe anemia or shock
- High or low systemic blood pressure (body pressure)
- High myopia
- High hyperopia
- Migraine
- Long-term corticosteroid treatment
- Eye injuries
- Racial factors
Individuals with these characteristics have a higher risk of developing glaucoma, making it prudent for them to undergo regular eye examinations for early detection of damage to the optic nerve.
How is Glaucoma Diagnosed?
Advanced technology diagnostic devices are used to monitor eye pressure and determine if damage has occurred to the optic nerve. Our glaucoma specialists interpret the data from these devices to plan the patient’s treatment process. These include the COMPUTERIZED VISUAL FIELD, which shows the extent of vision loss due to damage to the optic nerve, OCT (Optic Nerve Tomography) for analyzing the optic nerve and nerve fibers, and PACHYMETRY devices that measure corneal thickness to assess how close your measured values are to reality. These are crucial for diagnosing glaucoma.
How is Glaucoma Followed Up?
Since glaucoma is a progressive disease, follow-up is very important. The rate of disease progression will become evident after successive computerized visual field and OCT tests. Your doctor will discuss your disease with you using this rate of progression and will create a personalized treatment plan for you. Unfortunately, treatment for glaucoma conducted without determining the rate of progression will be incomplete.
Treatment of Glaucoma
Glaucoma treatment is of utmost importance for eye health. Glaucoma (commonly known as eye pressure) is a disease often seen in individuals over 40 years of age, typically progressing over the years and damaging the optic nerve necessary for vision. Once vision loss occurs in glaucoma, there is no chance of reversal. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are very important.
For early diagnosis, careful eye examination is essential. In our center, glaucoma is diagnosed and treated early with the assistance of systems equipped with the latest technology devices.
Glaucoma can be treated in three ways:
- Surgical treatment
- Laser treatment
- Medication treatment
Medication Treatment: Many eye drops are available for the medication treatment of glaucoma. These drops reduce intraocular pressure with various mechanisms of action. They are used regularly and for life at specified intervals. If successful treatment cannot be achieved with the initial medication, a second drop is added. If the eye pressure does not decrease again, depending on the treating doctor's opinion, a third drop may be added or other treatment methods may be explored.
Laser Treatment: In cases where insufficient response to medication treatment occurs, laser procedures may be performed for glaucoma treatment.
Surgical Treatment: A small channel is created in the white part of the eye through surgery. This channel, which is so small that it is not visible from the outside, facilitates the drainage of the high-pressure fluid inside the eye.
With developing technology and new methods, it is now possible to perform eye pressure-lowering surgeries without using any stitches or surgeries that can remove the fluid from inside the eye with the help of a tube in advanced cases.
