Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of different diseases that have damage to the part of the optic nerve (nerve of sight) within the eye itself in common. This damage can lead to loss of the visual field (how widely you are able to see). This is usually related to excess pressure within the eye. It is usually a very slowly progressive disease and so, it is a disease predominately of the elderly.
The optic nerve has a significant reserve capacity. It has been estimated that 20% of the nerve has to be lost before an effect on the vision becomes apparent. As well as this, you naturally loose cells within the optic nerve as you age. Higher pressure increases the rate of this loss and so all that can be done with treatment is to slow the rate of progression to the age related ‘background’ rate. It is because of these factors it is important to start treatment early and to try and regularly take the treatment. Once damage occurs, it cannot be reversed and visual loss will continue to some degree as you age regardless of the pressure control at that time.
There are important variants within this group of diseases such as ocular hypertension (high pressures without signs of damage), normal-tension glaucoma (damage of a glaucomatous pattern but with normal pressures) and ‘suspicious discs’ (an apparently damaged nerve with normal pressures and without demonstrable visual loss).
Excess pressure can be treated by numerous methods. Most commonly treatment is by eyedrops used everyday, but laser treatment and surgery can also play a part. In recent years many more effective and well tolerated eyedrops have become available and these have significantly reduced the requirement for surgery.
The optic nerve has a significant reserve capacity. It has been estimated that 20% of the nerve has to be lost before an effect on the vision becomes apparent. As well as this, you naturally loose cells within the optic nerve as you age. Higher pressure increases the rate of this loss and so all that can be done with treatment is to slow the rate of progression to the age related ‘background’ rate. It is because of these factors it is important to start treatment early and to try and regularly take the treatment. Once damage occurs, it cannot be reversed and visual loss will continue to some degree as you age regardless of the pressure control at that time.
There are important variants within this group of diseases such as ocular hypertension (high pressures without signs of damage), normal-tension glaucoma (damage of a glaucomatous pattern but with normal pressures) and ‘suspicious discs’ (an apparently damaged nerve with normal pressures and without demonstrable visual loss).
Excess pressure can be treated by numerous methods. Most commonly treatment is by eyedrops used everyday, but laser treatment and surgery can also play a part. In recent years many more effective and well tolerated eyedrops have become available and these have significantly reduced the requirement for surgery.