Archive for the 'Eye Health' Category
- Everything About Glaucoma
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that are characterized by optic nerve damage, and increased intraocular pressure; gradually reduced vision, starting from the periphery (lost vision from outside to inside). The main
Problem is that it could prevent symptoms that the patient until it is too late, because the damage is irreversible.
The slow development of the condition, the absence of signs and symptoms marked alerting the existence of glaucoma in the early stages and the lack of habit of attending the ophthalmologist regularly pore part of the patient, causing delayed diagnoses and treatments desesperadores.
Causes
In most of the different types of glaucoma eye drainage system begins to fail for a closure of the ducts exit intraocular fluid (aqueous humor), this increases intraocular pressure causing damage to the optic nerve and consequently begins to reduce the visual field.
Primary open-angle glaucoma
The primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma and represents at least 90% of all cases. The angle between the iris and cornea is normal, wide and open, but the damage is caused by occlusion slowly, over time, of drainage channels, increased intraocular pressure and damaging the optic nerve.
Drainage Normal
Inside the eye moves totally transparent liquid which is responsible for the nutrition of the internal structures, similar to the role of blood in the tissues.
This liquid, called aqueous humor, has a production system and another for disposal. The perfect balance between these two systems keeps constant intraocular pressure.
Risk Factors
* Elevated intraocular pressure.
* Family history of glaucoma (increased risk of 4 to 9 times).
* Over 60 years of age (increased 6 times more likely to suffer).
* Race (increases the risk 2 times in Latinos, African Americans and Japanese in 3 times, Africans 4 times).
* Myopia
* Glaucoma in the other eye (29% chance of affecting the other eye in 5 years).
* Trauma or surgery in the eye.
* Diabetes
Diagnosis
Early detection through a comprehensive eye exam conducted on a regular basis is the key to protecting your vision of the harm caused by increased intraocular pressure and glaucoma.
To make an early diagnosis should go to periodically review ophthalmology, especially those patients with glaucoma or with risk factors for developing it, your doctor perform the following tests to detect intraocular hypertension and / or glaucoma.
Tonometry: Review of actual lifting routine by ophthalmologists to measure intraocular pressure, to measure the pressure on the cornea with a tonometer.
Oftalmoscopía: Evidence that is used to examine the interior of the eye, especially the optic nerve looking at the color and shape of this, which allows the doctor to detect nerve damage caused by intraocular hypertension or glaucoma.
Perimetry: Also called visual field test. During which the patient receives a light indicates when to make a “map” of your field of vision with which the doctor can stop if glaucoma has already damaged his vision.
Ginioscopia: This test examines the angle where the iris meets the cornea is open or closed to determine the type of glaucoma.
Goals of treatment
Currently there is no cure for glaucoma, but with early diagnosis and proper treatment makes glaucoma is controlled to stop or make progress more slowly.
The primary goal of treatment is to keep the lower intraocular pressure, even those cases in which it is a low-pressure glaucoma. Glaucoma is a chronic disease that must be treated for life. There are major advances in research that allow us to maintain the hope of finding a final solution.
Most patients will not go blind if treated in time. It is very important to apply the medicine and take a good care of their eyes. It is also important to pay attention to the emotional and psychological aspects of this disease.
Drug treatment
With the creation of new drugs, at present the disease is kept under control with the use of drops that help regulate the intraocular pressure. These drops are applied once or several times a day, according to the ophthalmologist and glaucomatólogo prescription, and should be retained indefinitely. The drops can produce adverse reactions, local or general, which must be reported immediately to your ophthalmologist or glaucomatólogo to proceed to modify the treatment so that these effects will be minimal.
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