Symptoms and treatment of glaucoma, its types

Glaucoma is an incurable ophthalmic disease that leads to the gradual loss of the optic nerve. In medicine, an open-ended and closed-angle pathology is distinguished. The disease is accompanied by increased intraocular pressure. In the early stages, it has an asymptomatic course, which complicates its diagnosis. In this material, we will analyze what it is like, how the disease proceeds, what kinds of such pathology exist, for what reasons is it the disease develops, to what complications can lead, what diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical treatment it requires.

Definition of disease

Glaucoma - an ailment in which there is a gradual degradation of the optic nerve and pathological changes in the retina.These changes lead to gradual fallout of the fields of vision and in the long run can lead to complete blindness. Pathological processes affecting the optic nerve and retina are irreversible.

Currently, glaucoma is the second among ophthalmic diseases, leading to a complete loss of vision.

Only in Russia now more than one million patients with this pathology are registered. BMost patients do not know about their problem because of the asymptomatic course of the disease in the early stages.It is for this reason that it is so important to regularly undergo ophthalmic examinations to identify this problem.

Types and Classifications

There are two main forms of glaucoma:

• Open-angle. It is the most common form of the disease (more than 80% of cases). The cause of the appearance of pathology is the disruption of the functioning of the drainage system of the eye. Has mild symptoms, occurs as a chronic disease.
• Closed-angle. It occurs mainly in patients with farsightedness. The cause of its appearance is the peculiarity of the structure of the eye, in which the profile of the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye is too narrow or closed. This structure and causes an increase in intraocular pressure. It is characterized by its rapid ascent. It manifests itself in the form of frequent attacks, after which the symptoms of glaucoma can disappear.

Also in medicine distinguish the primary (congenital) form of the disease and the secondary, developing on the basis of other pathologies or eye injuries.

There is a special subspecies of open-angle glaucoma - glaucoma with normal eye pressure. It develops against the backdrop of blood circulation of the eye. This form is more difficult to diagnose. Patients may suspect it only when the field of vision is narrowed.

Causes

Various factors can lead to the development of pathology, including:

• congenital anomalies in the structure of the eye chamber;
• violations of blood pressure, for example, hypotension;
• taking certain medications, including corticosteroids;
• trauma to the eye;
• intraocular tumors;
• prolonged eye diseases, including uveitis, iridocyclitis;
• change in the position or volume of the lens;
• pathology of the drainage system of the eye;
• disturbance of blood circulation in the eye chamber.

Also, some pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, for example, osteochondrosis, can lead to the development of glaucoma. With such diseases, the work of the vascular system, which ensures the functioning of the optic nerve, worsens, leading to glaucoma and blindness.

Symptoms

In the early stages of development, this disease is asymptomatic. With the development of retinal and ocular nerve degenerative processes, the following symptoms appear in patients:

• narrowing of the fields of vision;
• defects of peripheral vision;
• the appearance of rainbow circles when looking at the light source.

In patients with glaucoma, visual acuity may not change for a long time. For this reason, it is not taken into account in the diagnosis of this disease.

In acute attacks characteristic of closed-angle glaucoma, the patient may experience such symptoms:

• sharp blurring of vision;
• pain in the eye, giving in the temple;
• the appearance of halos or rainbow circles when looking at the light source.

Nausea and vomiting often occur in patients with this form of the disease. After the end of the attack, the main symptomatology becomes less pronounced. However, this does not indicate a recovery. For this reason, patients are recommended after the first glaucoma attack to consult an ophthalmologist for further examination and treatment.

Possible complications

If the patient does not receive the necessary treatment for glaucoma, the disease can quickly progress and lead to the development of complications. The patient develops a severe atrophy of the cornea, accompanied by increased lacrimation, acute pain syndrome. At the last (terminal) stage of development of pathology, the patient loses the ability to open a sore eye. The most severe complication of glaucoma is complete loss of vision due to optic nerve atrophy.

If a patient who has lost vision has pain syndrome that can not be suppressed by specialized drugs, he is assigned to remove the diseased eye. After some time after such an operation, the eyes can be replaced with a prosthesis.

Diagnostics

To diagnose Glaucoma, complex diagnostics are carried out. In its framework, such studies are carried out:

• Measurement of intraocular pressure. For its carrying out use pneumotograph or special weights. The norm of eye pressure is 24-25 mm Hg. Exceeding this value indicates the development of glaucoma. Diagnosis with the help of weights is called the tonometry of Maklakov.
• Investigation of the fundus. For him, a slit lamp is used. The method is called ophthalmoscopy.
• Tomography of the optic nerve. It provides an opportunity to track violations in his work, indicating the development of glaucoma.
• Evaluation of visual fields. It provides an opportunity to track changes in peripheral vision, indicating the stage of development of glaucoma.

Methods of glaucoma diagnosis. Gonioscopy is a method using goniolins and a slit lamp or an operating microscope.

At inspection the estimation of quality of a drainage system of an eye is necessarily spent. This diagnosis allows you to determine the type of glaucoma and choose the most effective treatment for ailment.

Treatment

Cure the disease completely possible only in the early stages of its development. When glaucoma is started, all the methods of treatment: medicamentous, surgical, folk - are aimed only at relief of symptoms and slowing the rate of the disease. When using them, the patient must constantly be observed by the doctor, undergo a survey and monitor the level of intraocular pressure. In the vast majority of cases, the treatment of glaucoma is limited to drug therapy. Only if the disease progresses rapidly, and the conservative methods of treatment do not give the desired effect, the patient can be prescribed an operation.

Medicines

The basis for drug treatment of glaucoma is the use of drugs that reduce intraocular pressure. Such are the drops of Pilocarpine, Betaxalol, Dorzolamide and others. Such drops are used by courses with short breaks. In addition, patients can be prescribed vitamins and drugs that support blood circulation in the structures of the eye.

When taking medications, the patient should regularly visit the doctor and measure the intraocular pressure. This is necessary so that the medic can evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and make timely adjustments to the strategy for combating glaucoma.

Folk remedies

Slow down the development of glaucoma can be done with the help of folk remedies. The most effective among them are:

• Lotion with dill.For their preparation take small tissue bags (5x5 cm), fill them with seeds of dill, soak in boiling water. After that wait until the bags have cooled, then put them on their eyes for 20 minutes. Do this before bed.
• Drops on the basis of a golden mustache.For their preparation, take a few leaves of the plant, squeeze out the juice from them and dig into their eyes. Do this for 10 days. Also a good effect gives a decoction of a golden mustache. It is prepared as follows: take a large fresh leaf of the plant, finely chopped, pour a liter of boiling water and leave to infuse for 24 hours. After this, take the remedy 4 times a day before eating. The course of treatment is 4 weeks.
• Compress based on herbs.To prepare this, take half a glass of nettle and a teaspoon of lily-of-the-valley flowers, they all pour a glass of cold water, insist 9 hours. Then add half a spoonful of tea soda to the mixture. All this is stirred, pawned in gauze and applied as a compress for 20 minutes. Use such compresses once a day.

Treatment with folk remedies must be continued until the person has the first signs of recovery. If the presented methods do not give such results, after 2 months after the beginning of treatment, you should consult a doctor and undergo full-fledged drug therapy or surgical treatment.

Surgically

In the event that conservative treatment of glaucoma was ineffective, a patient may be prescribed microsurgery of the eye. During this operation, additional ways of outflow of intraocular fluid are formed, which allow to reduce intraocular pressure and stop the development of the disease.Surgical treatment for glaucoma is performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia.After the operation, the patient needs to take antiseptic drops and preparations such as "artificial tear" to avoid possible complications.

Types of laser operations performed with glaucoma are described here.

It should be remembered that surgery can not eliminate the effects of glaucoma. Also, it does not guarantee that the disease will not progress in the future. Therefore, after it is carried out, the patient must regularly undergo examinations with ophthalmic doctors.

Prevention

The main prevention of glaucoma is the regular passage of medical examinations from an ophthalmologist. Particular attention they need to give people over 40 years of age. They need to visit a specialist at least twice a year. Obligatory control of eye pressure should be given to patients who suffer from farsightedness.

Up to 40 years of clinical examination must necessarily go to those people who suffer from pathologies of vegetovascular system, increased cranial pressure, as well as patients who have suffered eye trauma. They have a higher risk of developing the disease.

Also for the purpose of general prevention of the disease, one must comply with the requirements for hygiene of vision, do exercises for the eyes, improving blood circulation in tissues, eating foods containing an increased amount of vitamins and necessary for the body minerals.

Video

The video tells about the features and specificity of the course of glaucoma, what is fraught with its development in the last stage.

conclusions

1. Glaucoma is an irreversible eye disease, which leads to a complete loss of vision as a result of the destruction of the optic nerve and the pathological processes of the retina.
2. There are open-angle and closed-angle forms of the disease.
3. The reasons for which there is a disease, a lot. Among them are abnormalities of the eye development, disruption of the drainage system, general diseases accompanied by circulatory disorders, eye trauma and long uveitis, iridocyclitis.
4. At the first stages of development the disease flows asymptomatically. At attacks of a glaucoma there is a blurred vision, a painful syndrome.
5. Medical, surgical, folk methods of treatment do not allow you to get rid of the disease. They only slow down the pace of its development.
6. In order to prevent glaucoma patients are advised to visit the doctors at least once a year and to measure intraocular pressure.