Tuesday, May 24, 2016

To Treat Glaucoma San Antonio Should Be Prioritized

By Ruth Stevens


Glaucoma is a collection of eye diseases that when not managed result in total loss of vision through the damage of optic nerves in the retina part of the eye. The disease has three varieties, that is, normal-tension, open-angle, and closed-angle glaucoma. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common variety in the world today. It occurs over a long period of time and it usually does not cause any form of pain in the eye. To understand glaucoma San Antonio offers a good location to check out.

Open-angle glaucoma should be treated immediately when it is noticed. This variety presents itself in form of slight loss in side vision. This loss in vision is accompanied by a reduction in central vision which culminate into total blindness. The closed-angle variety presents gradually or suddenly depending on causative factors. If it occurs suddenly, it may be accompanied by nausea, mid-dilated pupil, severe eye pain, blurred vision, and redness in the eye.

Vision loss caused by glaucoma is permanent and cannot be reversed. There are many risk factors associated with the condition. Some of the risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, migraines, family history of the illness, and pressure in the eye. The different types of this disease are caused by different factors in the eye.

If treatment starts during early stages of the disease, the pace can be lowered or the disease can be treated altogether. There are many treatment options including laser treatment, medication, and surgery. The aim of these treatment options is reducing pressure inside the eyes. Treatments are placed into classes. Various treatment classes vary in their efficiency and the variety they do well on. For instance, the open-angle and closed-angle varieties are well treated through laser treatment.

In cases where other treatments are not effective, surgery may be used. The closed-angle variety is usually taken as a medical emergency in medicine. In the world, between 11-67 million people suffer from this condition. In the US alone, two million people have the disease. Chances of occurrence are higher in older people while closed-angle variety is more prevalent in women compared to men.

Besides cataracts, glaucoma is the second major cause of blindness. There are no acute symptoms associated with the illness, which makes regular eye checks very vital. The only signs one is likely to experience are visual field loss and changes in optic nerves. There is no evidence to support the understanding that lack of some kinds of vitamins within the body causes the problem. Thus, vitamin supplements are not a treatment.

Screening eyes for glaucoma is usually part of standard eye examination. Both optometrists and ophthalmologists can do the screening. Some of the process involved in eye examination are tonometry, optical coherence tomography, gonioscopy, scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, scanning laser polarimetry, and pathymetry. The choice of procedures to conduct and ones to leave out is made by the eye specialist.

Local and systemic side effects may be caused by medication. Sticking to the medication protocols can also be confusing and costly. Research shows that blindness is often caused by failure to make follow-up visits and to adhere to medication. Perseverance is highly required during medication.




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