Symptoms and treatment of glaucoma

Among the common diseases of the eyes, doctors are allocated glaucoma. Diagnose it most often in elderly people, although it is impossible to exclude cases in young people and even in children. The treatment of glaucoma in the elderly can be done with medication or an operative route. A suitable variant of therapy is knocked out by the doctor taking into account the stage of the pathological process.

Definition

Glaucoma - ophthalmic pathology, accompanied by increased pressure in the inner chambers of the eye above the threshold values.If the pressure is not modernized, the optic nerve will die and the person will go blind.

The main danger of increasing the pressure inside the eye is above the critical mark - loss of the optic nerve and, as a result, blindness.

Glaucoma - a frequent ophthalmic pathology, about 15% of patients with acquired blindness have lost sight precisely because of it.This diagnosis is usually made after the age of 40, but the disease can occur in younger people and children.

Kinds

In modern medicine, primary, congenital and secondary glaucoma are allocated.The primary form is found most often, usually accompanied by myopia and other concomitant factors (age 60 years and older, diabetes, low blood pressure, hereditary location, etc.). Congenital pathology is caused by anomalies in the period of embryonic development. The secondary type develops as a result of:

• inflammatory pathologies - is uveitis, keratitis, etc .;
• lens dislocations;
• cataracts;
• Dystrophic diseases;
• trauma to the organs of vision;
• ophthalmic operations;
• tumors.

In a separate category, such a pathology as hypertension stands out - that is, not a glaucoma increase in intraocular pressure. It has a benign course, nerve damage is not accompanied.

The forms are open and closed.In glaucoma of the closed type, moisture accumulates as a result of the iris overlapping the angular part of the anterior eye chamber, in the case of the open-angle form, normal access remains open, but drainage functions system. There is also glaucoma with the usual indicators of intraocular pressure and mixed.

Redness during closed angle glaucoma

Reduced and elevated IOP: what leads to

In the organs of vision there is watery moisture (a liquid of a special composition), which is constantly produced in the right quantities, and then through natural drainage is sent to the circulatory system. The balance between formation and outflow of moisture is answered by intraocular pressure, which normally is at the level of 16-22 mm Hg. If the pressure indicator becomes insufficient or excessive, the normal circulation of moisture in the eye is disturbed, the apple puts pressure on the nerve and it breaks down.After the complete destruction of the nerve (the time during which this process takes place, it can be different), a person will become blind.

Increased intraocular pressure

Sudden blindness in glaucoma can indicate not only the loss of the optic nerve, but also a sharp attack.

Causes

If the organ of vision is completely healthy, then its normal pressure is 18-22 mm Hg. Art. Due to the regulation of outflow and inflow of the ophthalmic fluid, these indices are stable, and in the case of glaucoma, circulation of this liquid is disturbed. As a result, its timely withdrawal from the cavity of the eyeball is disturbed, it accumulates and begins to press on the walls of the organ.

Constant disturbance of the stable tone of the eye tissues leads to disruption of the circulatory system, slower necessary nutrients arrive, retinal pathologies develop, tissue atrophy begins, including optic nerve.Its damage is fraught with the fact that visual signals no longer arrive at the brain. Because of this, a person is not able to fully see, and his zone of visibility is limited.

Symptoms

Most types of glaucoma occur without any visible symptoms.The initial stage has a long developmental process, and at this time the vital structures of the eye, such as the retina, vitreous, optic nerve, are gradually destroyed. Set the deviation is possible exclusively on an outpatient basis.

The closed-angle form of glaucoma is more susceptible to external manifestations, and the first thing a person experiences is pain and obvious visual disturbances.There is a temporary blurring of vision, halos near the light source, pain in the temporal and superciliary areas of the head. With such a course of glaucoma, an acute attack of a sharp increase in intraocular pressure is possible. It can occur in combination with symptoms such as nausea and general deterioration.

If a person does not help in the near future, he can go blind.

Possible complications

If you do not start the timely treatment of glaucoma, then the person's vision will gradually suffocate, until it leads to blindness.The development of glaucoma affects almost all areas of the eyeball:

1. Retinitis - develops its dystrophy, retinosis, detachment.
2. Macula - macular degeneration, loss of central vision, color blindness.
3. The anterior chamber of the eye is a clouding of the lens, the cornea.
4. The optic nerve and venous system - neuritis, thrombosis, atrophy.

It has been scientifically proven that earlier the development of cataracts (clouding of the lens) is caused by the presence of glaucoma. From the type of deviation (increased or decreased pressure) depends on the degree of cataract progression.

Treatment with medication

Drops

In the treatment plan, the doctor will administer Miotic drops - 1% pilocarpine solution.To drip it is necessary within 2 hours on 1 drop in each eye with an interval in 15 minutes. The next 2 hours to drip in half an hour, and then after 1 hour.

The subsequent application of the drug is carried out 3-6 times a day. It all depends on the degree of pressure reduction inside the eye. This scheme of therapy is used with a positive sample result on pilocarpine.

Pilocarpine is used in the treatment of glaucoma

If there is no reaction of the pupil due to iris ischemia, then the drug is inappropriate and even dangerous.

An additional drug acts,% solution of Timolol. Its worth to drip 1 drop 2 times a day. The duration of therapy is prescribed by the doctor, taking into account the degree of the pathological process.

Preparations for internal reception

In the treatment of glaucoma, a doctor may prescribe a medication for internal administration.The treatment scheme will include:

• Diacarb by, 5 g 3 times a day,
• Trusopt - 3 times a day,
• Asopt - 2 times a day.

Drops of Asopt are used in the treatment of glaucoma

Inside or intravenous may appoint diuretics. Most often, 50% glycerol solution is used. Its dosage will be -2 g / kg. If the pressure does not decrease, then you can enter the diuretic intramuscularly. Furosemide is used for 20-40 mg.

If the treatment provided does not bring a proper result, then to reduce the intraocular pressure intramuscularly injected a "lytic mixture

• 1-2 ml,% solution of aminazine,
• 1 ml of a 2% solution of dimedrol,
• 1ml 2% solution of promedol.

The component of the "lytic mixture" is Diphenhydramine

After the introduction of the medicine, the patient must comply with bed rest.The fact is that within 3-4 hours the blood pressure may drop sharply.

Vitamins for eyesight

According to the conducted studies, it was found that vitamins affect the visual organs in the treatment of glaucoma.If you use lutein-containing medications in addition to the main treatment, then it will get quite high efficiency in a short period of time. Most often use Lutein Forte and Lutein Complex.

Lutein forte

Surgical method

If using the methods of conservative therapy to get the proper effect fails and intraocular pressure increases, the doctor decides to conduct the operation.Its essence is that on the iris, a pressure compensation is created between the anterior and posterior chambers of the organ of vision. This operation with glaucoma does not allow repeated blockade in the outflow of intraocular fluid. This is due to the fact that an artificial drain is created for it, so that the pressure does not increase after the operation. For the operation, the doctor uses local anesthesia. And you can spend it out-patient.

Laser surgery for glaucoma

For the operation can use a laser method, with which you can reduce the pressure in glaucoma. Laser treatment is characterized by low efficiency and not a lasting effect.

After the operation, a sterile dressing is applied to the patient's eye. Do not rub it and apply mechanical pressure to the eye. In the first days after surgery, you should not watch TV for a long time or read a book. After surgery, the patient should avoid physical stress and not visit the sauna, sauna.

Folk remedies

Cure glaucoma with the help of folk remedies is impossible, but here to alleviate the symptoms and reduce the intraocular pressure is quite real.To do this, you need to choose one of the following recipes:

• Take 20 g of honey, 10 ml of onion juice, 20 ml of dandelion juice.All components are mixed and infused 3 hours into a dark place. The resulting mixture drip into the eye 2 drops 2-3 times a day.

The composition can not be stored for a long time, so it is necessary to do a new daily.

• Every day on an empty stomach, drink 200 ml of tomato juice with a dissolved spoon of honey.
• Mix 100 ml of nettle and 10 g of lily of the valley flowers.Add a glass of warm water. Infuse in a dark place for 9 hours. Then add 5 g of soda to the solution. Use a solution for the compress on the eyes. Duration of manipulation is 15-20 minutes. In the day, such procedures are carried out 2 times.
• Take in equal amounts the fruits of mountain ash, spring primrose, lice, black currant leaves. Pour 20 g of raw material 200 ml of boiling water. Insist 30 minutes. Filter and take during the day.
• Wash the aloe leaf thoroughly and finely chop it. Pour a glass of water, simmer for 2-3 hours, filter and use a solution for washing the eye 2-3 times a day.
• Acquire the tincture of dill syrup, combine it in equal quantities with honey.Wait 2 hours, then use as a solution for instillation. In each eye 2 drops. Carry out medical treatment 2 times a day.
• Take 150 g of celery, 200 g of carrots, 100 g of beet, 50 g of parsley, 100 g of cucumber. From all products squeeze the juice, combine and use during the day.
• Combine in equal quantities the fruits of blueberries and honey. Eat 10-20 g per day.

Prevention

Prevention of glaucoma reduces to the following simple recommendations:

1. Once every six months, come to the doctor for an ophthalmologist.
2. Do not sit too long at the computer, TV and reading a book.
3. If there are other eye diseases, they should be treated promptly.
4. In summer, protect the eyes from the sun with the help of sunglasses.

Video

conclusions

Glaucoma - a dangerous disease, which must be treated urgently. If everything is allowed to run amok, a person can completely go blind. Another thing is that in time to recognize the symptoms of this insidious disease is not always possible and to return 100% of the patient's vision is no longer obtained.