Losing the sense of sight changes every aspect of living. In the past, people who developed blindness and had no safety net often ended up homeless, relying on begging for survival. While that happens far less commonly today, conditions like glaucoma still take a severe personal toll, and can result in blindness if not discovered and treated early. Glaucoma San Antonio patients fight optic nerve damage with education and the latest medical advances.
Glaucoma commonly attacks both eyes, and is characterized by ever-increasing liquid pressure within those orbs. Fluids regularly drain under normal circumstances, which allows internal pressure to remain balanced. If that natural process is blocked, internal forces slowly build, often causing permanent damage to nearby ocular structures, including the optic nerve. The two most common types are called open and closed angle.
Because this eye disease progresses slowly, victims may not initially be physically aware of any problem. As time passes, damaged nerves slowly cause losses in peripheral vision, a process that may continue for years. In the final stages, all sight is severely affected and vision restricted to a narrow tunnel directly in front of the face. Closed angle disease can cause immediate problems with very prominent symptoms.
These include blurred vision accompanied by eye pain, which may be severe enough to cause nausea and vomiting. Lights appear to have surrounding auras, and adjusting to different illumination levels becomes difficult. Risk of developing the disease increases with age, and can also affected by ethnic background, previous eye surgery, and the presence of certain other illnesses.
The key to successful treatment is early diagnosis. Pressure tests have become a standard part of most eye exams, and can immediately detect dangerously high levels. Additional tools include gonioscopy, a procedure determining blockage of the angle between the iris and cornea. Perimetry tests can tell whether portions of lateral vision are missing, and optic nerve tools reveal the extent of damage at the rear of the eye.
If an exam has uncovered problems, it is vital that treatment begin as soon as possible. While no form of this degenerative condition can be completely cured, progression can be slowed or halted. Even though damage cannot be reversed, the most common therapy includes eye-drops containing prostaglandin analogues, beta blockers, fluid inhibitors, or drugs to stimulate flow.
In some cases, the drops may not prove effective, requiring surgery to relive pressure. Lasers are increasingly being used to unblock drainage passages, and some patients benefit from filtering procedures intended to relieve pressure manually. Some patients receive an aqueous shunt implant. Victims of acute-angle glaucoma are treated as emergencies cases, and require immediate pressure reducing drugs in combination with surgery.
San Antonio TX victims of this condition realize how important regular eye exams and early detection really are. Because many patients experience the disease for years without overt symptoms, only a physician can determine the extent and severity of the problem. Current technological advances have made early diagnosis simple, easy, and painless, and help preserve visual acuity as long as possible.
Glaucoma commonly attacks both eyes, and is characterized by ever-increasing liquid pressure within those orbs. Fluids regularly drain under normal circumstances, which allows internal pressure to remain balanced. If that natural process is blocked, internal forces slowly build, often causing permanent damage to nearby ocular structures, including the optic nerve. The two most common types are called open and closed angle.
Because this eye disease progresses slowly, victims may not initially be physically aware of any problem. As time passes, damaged nerves slowly cause losses in peripheral vision, a process that may continue for years. In the final stages, all sight is severely affected and vision restricted to a narrow tunnel directly in front of the face. Closed angle disease can cause immediate problems with very prominent symptoms.
These include blurred vision accompanied by eye pain, which may be severe enough to cause nausea and vomiting. Lights appear to have surrounding auras, and adjusting to different illumination levels becomes difficult. Risk of developing the disease increases with age, and can also affected by ethnic background, previous eye surgery, and the presence of certain other illnesses.
The key to successful treatment is early diagnosis. Pressure tests have become a standard part of most eye exams, and can immediately detect dangerously high levels. Additional tools include gonioscopy, a procedure determining blockage of the angle between the iris and cornea. Perimetry tests can tell whether portions of lateral vision are missing, and optic nerve tools reveal the extent of damage at the rear of the eye.
If an exam has uncovered problems, it is vital that treatment begin as soon as possible. While no form of this degenerative condition can be completely cured, progression can be slowed or halted. Even though damage cannot be reversed, the most common therapy includes eye-drops containing prostaglandin analogues, beta blockers, fluid inhibitors, or drugs to stimulate flow.
In some cases, the drops may not prove effective, requiring surgery to relive pressure. Lasers are increasingly being used to unblock drainage passages, and some patients benefit from filtering procedures intended to relieve pressure manually. Some patients receive an aqueous shunt implant. Victims of acute-angle glaucoma are treated as emergencies cases, and require immediate pressure reducing drugs in combination with surgery.
San Antonio TX victims of this condition realize how important regular eye exams and early detection really are. Because many patients experience the disease for years without overt symptoms, only a physician can determine the extent and severity of the problem. Current technological advances have made early diagnosis simple, easy, and painless, and help preserve visual acuity as long as possible.
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