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August 2001

In order to answer some of your general questions about eye care, please send your questions to “Ask the Eye Care Specialist,” c/o Education Update, 276 Fifth Ave., Suite 1005, New York, NY, 10001 or email: ednews1@aol.com. We will try to answer as many questions as possible in this column. Specific diagnoses of eye diseases or conditions cannot be made. The answers given in this column must not take the place of your doctor’s advice.

Coping With Glaucoma
By EDITH S. MARKS

QUESTION: What is the treatment for glaucoma?

ANSWER: There are over 40 different kinds of glaucoma of which open angle glaucoma is the most prevalent. Glaucoma is called the “silent thief of sight” because, with the exception of closed angle glaucoma, the disease is painless and gives no indication of its presence. Diagnosis most often occurs only during an eye examination.

However, angle closure glaucoma is a different story. The patient may see halos, have severe headaches, feel nauseated and may get red eyes. If this situation occurs, it is imperative to seek medical help immediately because eye pressure can rise dramatically, and vision can be lost in a short period of time. A third kind of glaucoma, not easily detected, is normal tension glaucoma. People with this type of glaucoma may pass a vision-screening test.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of preventable blindness, but complete loss of sight or legal blindness occurs in only 10 percent of glaucoma cases. Glaucoma primarily affects persons 65 or older, and African-Americans are four to five times more likely to be affected. However, glaucoma can affect anyone, regardless of age or race.

Medical treatment for glaucoma consists of eyedrops, laser therapy and operations that are all directed at lowering the intraocular pressure. Elevated pressure damages the thin optic nerve fibers that carry the messages from the retina to the visual center in the brain. Eyedrops increase the outflow of fluid from the eye, but if they fail to keep the pressure in check, ophthalmologists usually recommend laser treatment, applying a beam of laser light to the drainage channel of the eye. This treatment usually lasts from three to five years before there is again a rise in pressure. The next management step is an eye operation—a trabeculectomy—where a tiny hole is made in the eye to allow the outflow of fluid.

A diagnosis of glaucoma with its implications for loss of sight can be frightening, and support groups exist to help. Prevent Blindness New York offers such a program and can be contacted at 212-980-2020 or 212-873-9661.

The writer is the author of Coping with Glaucoma. For more information, contact her at edjamark@aol.com.

 

Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001. Tel: (212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of the publisher. © 2001.




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