Glaucoma Treatment The best way to prevent vision loss from glaucoma is early diagnosis and treatment. See your eye care practitioner at least every two years for a complete examination, including an IOP check. People at high risk for glaucoma due to high intraocular pressures, family history, ethnic background, age or optic nerve appearance may need more frequent visits to the eye doctor. A test called a visual field may be performed on glaucoma suspects to detect peripheral vision loss. It involves staring straight ahead into a machine and clicking a button when you notice a blinking light in your peripheral vision. The visual field test may be repeated at regular intervals for your doctor to determine the extent of vision loss. Glaucoma treatment (for any form) entails decreasing aqueous humor production, increasing fluid drainage or a combination of the two. These treatments will not restore any vision already lost to glaucoma. Generally the first stage of glaucoma treatment is beta-blocker eye drops, which will lower fluid production in the eye. These may not be used in people with heart conditions, because they can affect heart or lung function. There are other pressure-lowering drops besides beta-blockers that are known as alpha-2 agonists and prostaglandin analogs. Many of the drugs used for glaucoma interact with common medications. Patients should discuss these issues with both the family physician and the eye care practitioner. Most cases of glaucoma can be controlled with a single drug or drug combinations, but some patients may require or select surgery. About 70% of patients need new or extra medications within two years after the start of drug treatment. That's compared with 56% of those who choose laser surgery. During a type of glaucoma surgery called trabeculoplasty, the doctor uses a laser to create tiny holes where the cornea and iris meet, to increase aqueous humor drainage. Another procedure called trabeculectomy creates an artificial drainage area; it's used in cases of advanced glaucoma where there is optic nerve damage and the IOP continues to soar. A third option is a drainage device, which the surgeon implants in your eye to improve fluid drainage. Helpful Definitions: intraocular pressure -- (IOP) Eye pressure, as determined by the amount of aqueous humor filling it. High IOP (ocular hypertension) can be a sign of glaucoma. optic nerve -- Part of the eye that carries stimuli from the rods and cones to the brain. peripheral vision -- The edges of your visual field. ocular hypertension -- Condition in which the intraocular pressure of the eye is elevated above normal and which may lead to glaucoma.
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