Frequently Asked Questions About Glaucoma Treatments

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Though glaucoma is a fairly common eye disease, it can sometimes be hard to get clear answers about what exactly glaucoma is and how exactly it is being treated today. On this page we will explore some of the most frequently asked questions about glaucoma and glaucoma treatments.

What is glaucoma?
Sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what glaucoma is because the term is used to describe at least six similar but separate eye conditions. All of these eye conditions are characterized by increased pressure on the ocular nerve. This is usually due to the excessive retention of intraocular fluid. The cause of the disease, its symptoms and its effect on vision varies from one person to the next.

How do I know if I have glaucoma?
Different forms of glaucoma have different symptoms. Some forms may be detected early because a person feels pressure, pain or inflammation in or around their eye(s), while other forms of glaucoma are non-symptomatic and may not be detected until a person actually experiences vision loss. Glaucoma-related vision loss generally begins subtly with a blurring at the edges of your vision. Nearsightedness is also common in the early stages. If glaucoma is left untreated, a person may lose their vision altogether.

If you are over the age of 50, your eye doctor should be including a glaucoma screening as a regular part of your eye exam. During these screenings, the doctor will use a tool called a tonometer to measure how much intraocular fluids your eye is retaining and how much resultant pressure those fluids are creating on your eye and optic nerve. This reading is a good indication of whether you are at-risk for developing--or are already suffering from--glaucoma.

How is glaucoma treated?
Glaucoma is treated either with medicine or with surgery. Medicine is only effective against mild cases of glaucoma where the eye has not yet incurred serious damage and vision has not yet been significantly diminished. These medications may inhibit the production of intraocular fluid or alternately they may aid the eye in better draining such fluid to relieve excessive pressure.

In cases where glaucoma has already progressed to the point of impairing a person's vision, the only treatment option is glaucoma surgery. Your eye doctor may recommend a one-time surgery to drain the excessive fluid from the effected eye(s), or they may recommend that you undergo a conventional surgery that will create a new, permanent drainage point for eye fluid.


About the Author:
It is advised that you contact a qualified vision loss surgeon if you have questions not addressed here. They will be able to answer your questions relating to vision loss and other laser vision correction procedures.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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