Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve which is usually associated with high pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in our community.  The best treatments usually stop vision loss, or at least slow it down sufficiently to enable the vast majority of patients to maintain good vision throughout their lives.

What Are The Symptoms Of Glaucoma?

Loss of vision occurs late in the disease after many optic nerve fibres have already been damaged. Peripheral vision is initially affected and some people may be aware of golf or tennis balls disappearing out of view in an abnormal manner.  Other late symptoms include a change in colour vision, inability to adapt to different light levels and lastly, difficulty reading and discerning fine details. Acute symptoms include pain and redness in the eye, headaches, seeing haloes around lights, blurred vision, nausea, and vomiting.

How Is Glaucoma Detected?

Regular eye examinations are the best way to detect glaucoma.

How Is Glaucoma Treated?

Because damage to the optic nerve cannot be reversed, treatment is aimed at preventing or slowing further damage.

Eye Drops

Eye drops lower the internal eye pressure by either decreasing fluid production or increasing fluid outflow through drainage. They must be used regularly and continuously. The effect of a medication only lasts a certain number of hours after which time the eye pressure may again rise, resulting in damage to the optic nerve. Therefore, a number of drops used at specified intervals will be required.

Laser Surgery

Laser surgery is a painless procedure performed as an outpatient. It is effective in different types of glaucoma. Laser surgery has minimal side effects. Occasionally the eye may become inflamed or there may be an increase in the eye pressure immediately after the laser treatment. Rarely, an irritation of the surface of the eye may occur which requires wearing of an eye patch for several days.

Surgery

The most common operation is a 'Trabeculectomy' which creates a new drainage channel for fluid to leave the eye. This is done in the operating theatre using an operating microscope.  Patients usually leave the hospital on the day of the surgery and are followed up closely in the office after the operation. The surgery works well in 90% of cases, with the most common cause of failure being the closure of the new channel from scar tissue formation.