Glaucoma is a condition where the
optic nerve is damaged due to raised pressure of
the eye.
There many types of glaucoma but the two groups are primary galuacomas
and the secondary glaucomas
where the glaucoma is due to other disease condition. Glaucoma is
treacherous becuase it happens slowly and
is usually painless.The perepheral vision is lost first while the
central vision is preserved till the last.
Since it usually ocurs in the elederly , many do not recognise this as
a disease but initially mistake it
to be low vision of age.Night vision is especially compromised. Doctors
diagnose the condition by a compbination of the following
assessment factors (a) family history (b) pressure of the eye which is
mesured by an instrument called the tonometer
(c) take a look into the optic nerve with the ophthalmoscope, with
stereo photograph or with the modern Heiderberg Retinal Tomograph
(d) ask for a field of vison which is mesured by the peremeter. One of
the modern techniques is measuring very early nerve loss
with the optical coherence tomograph (OCT). Once the diagnosis is made
then a careful watch is
kept on the eye pressure ( intra ocular pressure). Whenever necessary a
eye drop to lower eye
pressure is give. They must be continued as long as the ophthalmologist
ask them to
continue. Lasers are used in certain types of glaucomas ( narrow angle
glaucoma).
Surgery of glaucoma is performed when the pressure is not controlled by
drugs or
when the patient does not bother to put drops regularly or due to
practical reason does not have access
to continuous supply of eye drops. With modern treatment methods
almostall glaucomatous damage is preventable.
Therefore it is important to suspect someone and then exclude or
keep him under survillance.