Treating and Controlling Glaucoma

There are a number of people suffering from glaucoma. Unfortunately there is no cure for this eye disease, but the good news is that it can be controlled through medication. The glaucoma treatment primarily focuses on lowering the IOP (intraocular pressure) to a level that doesn’t cause optic nerve damage. Elevated IOP damages the optic nerve significantly, which is why containing the pressure is critical. The pressure to be achieved is known as the ‘target pressure’ or ‘goal pressure.’ This varies from one person to the other, and it may change during the course of treatment.

The ophthalmologist will study your glaucoma symptoms and prescribe the medication accordingly to lower the pressure on your eye. In the recent years, there has been an increase in the choices for topical treatment of glaucoma – prostaglandin analogs and prostamides being two of them. A prostaglandin analog medication is a preferred choice of many doctors for treating any kind of glaucoma, including congenital glaucoma.

How Do Prostaglandin Analogs or Prostamides Work

These medicines increase the outflow of aqueous humor, thus lowering the intraocular pressure. Aqueous humor is a fluid that the eye continually makes and is crucial for proper functioning of eye. These medications should be taken once a day.

What Kind of Medication Do Prostaglandin Analogs Include

These medications comprises of:

• Latanoprost (Xalatanâ)
• Bimatoprost (Lumiganâ)
• Travoprost (Travatanâ)

Possible Side Effects of These Medications

Though most medications, including eye-drops, are safe to use – some may have side-effects. People may experience the following symptoms as side-effects:

• Redness of the eye
• Darkened or brown iris. The change gets noticeable only after a few months or years
• Irritation or itching in the eye
• Blurry vision
• Increased growth, thickness and pigmentation of the eyelashes
• Muscle aches and headaches though they are rare
• Darkening of the eyelid skin

It is advised that people with a history of eye problems such as uveitis, history of retinal swelling or ocular herpes infection use these medications with caution. If you suffer or have suffered from any kind of eye ailments, discuss with your doctor before proceeding with any kind of treatment for glaucoma treatment. It is important that you take your glaucoma medications regularly as prescribed for them to show the desired results.

Medication Tips

Before you start taking any medication that your ophthalmologist prescribes, you should understand certain things.

• The name of the medication
• How the medicine should be ingested or applied
• Frequency of medication
• The right manner to store it
• Possible side effects that you might face
• How to address these side effects, if you experience any
• What should be done if you miss a dose

How will these medications react with the medication of a different treatment you might be on. It is of utmost importance that your doctors know about the different medications that are prescribed to you. Include the non-prescription medications as well. This will help them in planning the appropriate treatment plan for you, without any risk of threatening medical problems or side effects.

If you or a loved one is suffering from glaucoma, then it is advisable to visit a doctor immediately to control the condition before it worsens any further. Even if you don’t have glaucoma right now but your family has a history of this ailment, you should get regular check-ups to detect it in the early stages. Once you are on medications, you have to be disciplined about taking them without fail. Request an appointment with InSight Vision Center and get a consultation today.

Aaron Barriga

Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.

www.insightvisioncenter.com

An Early Diagnosis And Timely Treatment

An Early Diagnosis And Timely Treatment Can Prevent The Primary Cause Of Blindness – Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a fatal disease that strikes the optic nerve, causing irreversible damage to eyesight that eventually leads to blindness.Roughly, 2.7 million people in the U.S.A have glaucoma and it is estimated that these figures would go up to 4.2 million by 2030. Owing to the serious damage it may cause to the eyes, it is advised that you get a comprehensive dilated eye test done every 1-2 years.Your ophthalmologist may prescribe drops or pills to prevent permanent impairment. However, if medications do not achieve the desired results, you might have to get surgically operated.

Factors That Increase The Chances of Glaucoma:

Generally, glaucoma can occur to anyone, irrespective of age and gender. However, there are certain factors that increase the chances. These are:

• Aging: Increasing age is directly proportionate to the chances of developing glaucoma in a person. People over the age of 60 years are six times more likely to develop glaucoma.
• Family History: People with family members who have suffered from glaucoma in the past are at a greater risk. Family history of glaucoma increases the risk by 4 to 9 times.
• Ethnicity: Ethnicity plays a major role for developing glaucoma. For instance, people with Latino or African ancestry have a higher tendency for developing primary open-angle glaucoma as against people of other races. People of Asian descent are highly prone to developing normal-tension glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma.
• Other Risk Factors: Other potential risk factors that lead to development of glaucoma include eye injury, eye surgery, or severe near-sightedness. Medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure also make the eye more vulnerable to develop glaucoma. Further, regular and long-term use of steroid or cortisone increases the risk for open-angle glaucoma.

Don’t Let Glaucoma Destroy Your Vision – An Early Detection Can Save Your Eyesight

Glaucoma develops slowly over time. It does not carry any symptoms or any noticeable vision loss. Almost 40 percent of your vision can be lost without you noticing it. Blind spots start developing gradually in the peripheral or side vision, as the disease progresses. By the time these spots come to your notice, the optic nerve has already been damaged significantly and the worst part is; this damage is irreparable!

For this very reason, early detection and treatment are the only defense systems to control the disease and prevent any loss in vision. The most common treatment of glaucoma is the administration of medicated eye drops to lower eye pressure and enhance vision. By controlling the eye pressure, continued damage to the optic nerve can be slowed down and further vision loss can be prevented.

An early diagnosis and treatment can save your eyesight! Since the year 1980, advances in treatment have reduced the possibility of eventual blindness by nearly half. Despite the advanced treatments available today, there is no sure shot guarantee. 15 percent of the people diagnosed with this disease still progress to blindness. Do not ignore the risk factors of glaucoma if you do not want to fall in that 15 percent. Instead, visit InSight Vision Center to get your eyes checked regularly and if diagnosed with this disease, visit the nearest eye care center in Fresno, CA to get your treatment initiated at the earliest.

Aaron Barriga

Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK.

www.insightvisioncenter.com