Glaucoma Services

GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma is a disease that damages your eye’s optic nerve. It usually happens when fluid builds up in the front part of your eye. That extra fluid increases the pressure in your eye, damaging the optic nerve.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness for people over 50 years old. But blindness from glaucoma can often be prevented with early treatment.

TYPES OF GLAUCOMA

There are two major types of glaucoma,

Primary open-angle glaucoma :

This is the most common type of glaucoma. It happens gradually, where the eye does not drain fluid as well as it should (like a clogged drain). As a result, eye pressure builds and starts to damage the optic nerve. This type of glaucoma is painless and causes no vision changes at first. Regular eye exams are important to find early signs of damage to their optic nerve.

Angle-closure glaucoma (“closed-angle glaucoma” or “narrow-angle glaucoma”) :

This type happens when someone’s iris is very close to the drainage angle in their eye. The iris can end up blocking the drainage angle. When the drainage angle gets completely blocked, eye pressure rises very quickly. This is called an acute attack. It is a true eye emergency, and you should call your ophthalmologist right away or you might go blind. Here are the signs of an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack :

Your vision is suddenly blurry
You have severe eye pain
You have a headache
You feel sick to your stomach (nausea)
You throw up (vomit)
You see rainbow-colored rings or halos around lights

Many people with angle-closure glaucoma develop it slowly. This is called chronic angle-closure glaucoma. There are no symptoms at first, so they don’t know they have it until the damage is severe or they have an attack. Angle-closure glaucoma can cause blindness if not treated right away.

SYMPTOMS OF GLAUCOMA?

With open-angle glaucoma, there are no warning signs or obvious symptoms in the early stages. As the disease progresses, blind spots develop in your peripheral (side) vision.

Most people with open-angle glaucoma do not notice any change in their vision until the damage is quite severe. This is why glaucoma is called the “silent thief of sight”. Having regular eye exams can help your ophthalmologist find this disease before you lose vision. Your ophthalmologist can tell you how often you should be examined.

Angle-closure glaucoma :

People at risk for angle-closure glaucoma usually show no symptoms before an attack. Some early symptoms of an attack may include blurred vision, halos, mild headaches or eye pain. People with these symptoms should be checked by their ophthalmologist as soon as possible. An attack of angle-closure glaucoma includes the following:

severe pain in the eye or forehead
redness of the eye
decreased vision or blurred vision
seeing rainbows or halos
headache
nausea
vomiting

Normal tension glaucoma :

People with “normal tension glaucoma” have eye pressure that is within normal ranges, but show signs of glaucoma, such as blind spots in their field of vision and optic nerve damage.

Glaucoma suspects :

Some people have no signs of damage but have higher than normal eye pressure (called ocular hypertension). These patients are considered “glaucoma suspects” and have a higher risk of eventually developing glaucoma. Some people are considered glaucoma suspects even if their eye pressure is normal. For instance, their ophthalmologist may notice something different about their optic nerve. Anyone who is considered a glaucoma suspect should be carefully monitored by their ophthalmologist. An ophthalmologist can check for any changes over time and begin treatment if needed

WHO IS AT RISK FOR GLAUCOMA?

Some people have a higher than normal risk of getting glaucoma. This includes people who:

are over age 40
have family members with glaucoma
are of African, Hispanic, or Asian heritage
have high eye pressure
are farsighted or nearsighted
have had an eye injury
use long-term steroid medications
have corneas that are thin in the center
have thinning of the optic nerve
have diabetes, migraines, high blood pressure, poor blood circulation or other health problems affecting the whole body

Talk with an ophthalmologist about your risk for getting glaucoma. People with more than one of these risk factors have an even higher risk of glaucoma

GLAUCOMA DIAGNOSIS

The only sure way to diagnose glaucoma is with a complete eye exam. A glaucoma screening that only checks eye pressure is not enough to find glaucoma.

During a glaucoma exam, your ophthalmologist will:

measure your eye pressure
inspect your eye’s drainage angle
examine your optic nerve for damage
test your peripheral (side) vision
take a picture or computer measurement of your optic nerve
measure the thickness of your cornea

EYEDROP MEDICINE FOR GLAUCOMA

“Every dose, every day—it can save your sight!”
Eyedrop medicines are helpful in treating glaucoma. It is extremely important to use your glaucoma eye drops exactly as your ophthalmologist tells you to. That includes taking every dose, every day. If you do not do this, you may loose vision.

Also, remember to tell your other doctors which medicines you take for glaucoma. As with any medication, glaucoma eye drops can cause side effects.

Your ophthalmologist may have you take more than one of the following glaucoma eyedrop medicine :

Alpha agonists
Beta-blockers
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
Prostaglandin analogs

LASER SURGERY

There are two main types of laser surgery to treat glaucoma. They help aqueous drain from the eye. These procedures are usually done in the ophthalmologist’s office or an outpatient surgery center.

Trabeculoplasty :

This surgery is for people who have open-angle-glaucomao. The eye surgeon uses a laser to make the drainage angle work better. That way fluid flows out properly and eye pressure is reduced.

Iridotomy :

This is for people who have angle-closure glaucoma. The ophthalmologist uses a laser to create a tiny hole in the iris. This hole helps fluid flow to the drainage angle.

Trabeculectomy :

This is where your eye surgeon creates a tiny flap in the sclera (white of your eye). He or she will also create a bubble (like a pocket) in the conjunctiva called a filtration bleb. It is usually hidden under the upper eyelid and cannot be seen. Aqueous humor will be able to drain out of the eye through the flap and into the bleb. In the bleb, the fluid is absorbed by tissue around your eye, lowering eye pressure.

Glaucoma drainage devices :

Your ophthalmologist may implant a tiny drainage tube in your eye. It sends the fluid to a collection area (called a reservoir). Your eye surgeon creates this reservoir beneath the conjunctiva (the thin membrane that covers the inside of your eyelids and white part of your eye). The fluid is then absorbed into nearby blood vessels.

Your role in glaucoma treatment :

Treating glaucoma successfully is a team effort between you and your doctor. Your ophthalmologist will prescribe your glaucoma treatment. It is up to you to follow your doctor’s instructions and use your eye drops.

Once you are taking medications for glaucoma, your ophthalmologist will want to see you regularly. You can expect to visit your ophthalmologist about every 3–6 months. However, this can vary depending on your treatment needs.

If you have any questions about your eyes or your treatment, talk to your ophthalmologist

Mon - Friday 10:00am-8:00pm

National Accreditation Board

Monday - Friday 08:00-19:00

+62 810 2633 8711

1428 Callison Laney Buoy