Glaucoma: how to avoid blindness in old age?

There are a number of diseases that are often overtaken by a person in old age, when the body starts irreversible aging processes.The inevitable degeneration of tissues somehow leads to a disruption of the functions of the organs. As you know, with age, a person's eyesight deteriorates. This not only reduces visual acuity, but also develops eye diseases.One of these dangerous diseases is glaucoma, which is typical for people over 40 years old. After 50 years, the risk of glaucoma is increased by 1-2%, and by the age of 80 glaucoma is diagnosed in more than 12% of people.

What it is?

Glaucoma is characterized by episodic or constant increase in intraocular pressure, as well as atrophy of the optic nerve and changes in the field of vision.If the disease starts, then complete or partial blindness will occur.

Glaucoma can be congenital, primary or secondary. In the elderly, as a rule, the disease develops against the background of the main diseases:

• atherosclerosis;
• hypertension;
• cataract;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• varicose veins;
• diabetes mellitus.

If an elderly person has one or more of these ailments, it is difficult to diagnose glaucoma. As a result, the treatment of glaucoma is not scheduled in a timely manner. For this reason, the disease begins to progress and can lead to blindness.

Causes of senile glaucoma

The main reason is the age at which all processes in the body slow down.As a result, the general health condition worsens: a person becomes less active, often can not get rid of the products of vital activity on time. Degenerative processes are accelerating, and the body can no longer cope with the ailments.

The most common causes of the emergence and development of glaucoma in senile age:

• hypertension;
• swelling cataract;
• diabetes;
• problems with blood circulation.

Normally, the person's intake and outflow of watery moisture in the eyes are balanced. This process is regulated by central and local nervous mechanisms.

In older people, the outflow of intraocular fluid is difficult. This leads to its stagnation and increased intraocular pressure, which, in turn, contributes to the dystrophy of the optic nerve. Eye structures are subject to pressure and insufficient nutrients.

As a result, develops glaucoma: first on one eye, and then on the second.

Types of senile glaucoma

The most common is primary open-angle glaucoma, which leads to a complete loss of peripheral vision. About 1% of the population of the Russian Federation suffers from this type.

The second common type of disease is acute angle-closure glaucoma. Not less than 200 000 inhabitants of the Russian Federation suffer from it.

Less common in older people is pigment glaucoma.In general, this type is typical for men with shortsightedness.In women, pigment glaucoma is extremely rare.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

To treat senile glaucoma was effective, it is important to conduct it in a timely manner. For this, an elderly person needs to pay attention to the following symptoms:

• sharp deterioration of visual acuity;
• severe pain in the head;
• Pain in the eyes;
• nausea and vomiting.

The disease can be "masked" for dystonia, a heart attack or angina pectoris.A person from 45 years old and above should be alerted if he experiences one of the following symptoms:

• a feeling of constriction over the eyes and eyebrows;
• headache during sleep, when in a dark room, when lifting weights;
• appearance before the eyes of a blanket or fog;
• color circles in front of the eyes during bright illumination.

In case of detection of such problems, you need to contact an ophthalmologist and undergo a thorough examination. The first thing that will need to be done is to measure the intraocular pressure.

Particular attention should be given to people suffering from diabetes. Glaucoma in diabetes is very common, even at the initial stage of the disease.The insidiousness of the disease is that it can not appear at all in the early stages, and the person begins to feel discomfort and anxiety even when the changes are irreversible and the vision is rapidly falling.

According to statistics, the main cause of absolute blindness in diabetics aged 50 - 70 years is precisely glaucoma. The key sign of its development is the periodic appearance of a veil before your eyes or blurred vision.

The main reason provoking problems with vision in a patient with diabetes mellitus is a high level of sugar in the blood.If it is possible to "catch" the symptoms of glaucoma at the initial stage, you can do without glasses, it is enough to constantly monitor the level of glucose in the blood.

Diagnosing the disease independently is not always possible, it can only be determined by a doctor.Care should be such signs:

1. Episodic severe pain in the eyeball and head.
2. Constantly watery eyes, blurred vision.
3. Appearance before the eyes of the halos around the light sources.

Diabetics should regularly consult an ophthalmologist and conduct an eye examination.

Treatment

In the treatment of senile glaucoma, it is important to influence the disease that caused it.First of all,the doctor will prescribe medications that promote the normalization of intraocular pressure: eye drops or tablets.

If these drugs do not work fully, you can resort to laser therapy, which involves exposure to the eyes in order to normalize intraocular pressure.

If laser therapy is ineffective, then surgical intervention will be required.The treatment of glaucoma in elderly people is important to start on time.But in addition to drug therapy, at this age it is necessary to adhere to a healthy diet and the right way of life in general.Thus, it is possible to exclude factors that can influence the increase in intraocular pressure.Basic recommendations for older people:

1. Avoid sharp, salted and spicy foods, which usually cause a strong thirst.
2. If the ophthalmologist prescribed drops, do not forget to dig in them.
3. Visit the oculist at least once every three months;
4. If the patient has hypertension or a stomach ulcer, inform the doctor about this: prescribing therapy is necessary taking into account these diseases.
5. Do not lift weights above 7 kg.
6. Do not eat foods that cause constipation.
7. Try not to lean heavily, use tools with long handles for gardening.
8. Give up beer and champagne.
9. Do not visit saunas and baths.
10. Before you visit the cinema, be sure to drop drips into the eyes.

What is dangerous glaucoma of the eye?

Prevention

Currently, there are no special ways to prevent senile glaucoma.However, in 2007, in the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, studies were published that indicated the availability of non-medical methods for reducing intraocular pressure.The researchers conducted an experiment: they planted the experimental animals on a special diet with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. It turned out that such a diet reduces the risk of glaucoma development by 35%.This is why older people need to eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids in order to prevent disease.In large quantities, these acids are found in fish of salmonids.

But most importantly, what each person should do to prevent this disease is to regularly undergo an examination with an ophthalmologist.

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conclusions

Glaucoma is a dangerous disease for people aged 45 years, tk. her treatment is quite specific and, as a rule, requires surgical intervention. Everyone who has crossed this age line should remember this and visit an ophthalmologist, even if he does not feel any of the symptoms mentioned in this article.Prevention and timely detection of the disease - the most important in the successful treatment of glaucoma.The symptoms of glaucoma in the early stages are described in more detail here.