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As the second leading cause of blindness in the world, glaucoma is an eye condition that we take seriously at Kentucky Eye Institute. Our expert eye doctors are here to help you catch signs of glaucoma early on and provide effective, comprehensive treatment to patients diagnosed with the condition.
Glaucoma is an eye condition that often occurs when fluid builds up in the front of your eye. This increases pressure on your eye and damages the optic nerve, which can affect your ability to see.
The eye is constantly producing a fluid called aqueous humor. It usually flows in and drains out through the drainage angle. This consistent flow regulates intraocular (eye) pressure. If drainage does not occur properly, the fluid builds up, causing intraocular pressure to rise. This pressure can damage the optic nerve and lead to vision loss.
There are many different types of glaucoma, but these are the two most common that patients may develop:
Angle-closure glaucoma happens when the angle between your iris and your cornea is too narrow, leading to a rise in eye pressure. If the drainage angle becomes completely blocked, you can have an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack.
Aqueous humor cannot leave your eye, resulting in a sudden rise in eye pressure. Most people do not show any symptoms before an attack. However, some notice blurred vision, eye pain, headaches, or halos.
Symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma include:
If you think you may be suffering an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack, it is essential to seek medical help right away, as it can cause rapid vision loss that may be irreversible.
Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of the condition. It is caused by resistance buildup at the trabecular meshwork of your eye.
Pressure then gradually builds in the eye and presses on the optic nerve. Most people don’t even realize they have open-angle glaucoma because the symptoms often do not present until the later stages of the condition.
Some people will notice blind spots in their peripheral vision as the condition progresses.
It is crucial to have routine eye exams to detect any signs of glaucoma early before they can damage the optic nerve, especially if you are in one of these higher-risk groups of people:
If you fall under any of these categories, stay up-to-date on your eye exams to lower the risk of vision loss from glaucoma, as early detection is vital. Your eye doctor can check for glaucoma during an eye exam through a series of tests.
There are many ways to treat glaucoma, depending on the progression of the condition. Some of the treatment options available at Kentucky Eye Insitute include:
Your eye doctor may prescribe you prescription eye drops that help lower your eye pressure. Some help fluid flow better through the drainage angle, while others reduce the amount of fluid the eye produces.
There are many types of glaucoma eye drops, including:
Prostaglandin eye drops promote fluid outflow from your eye, effectively lowering eye pressure. Medications in this category include travoprost, tafluprost, bimatoprost, latanoprost, and latanopostene bunod.
They are often used once a day and may cause side effects like mild redness or stinging, darkening of the iris or eyelid skin, and blurry vision.
Beta blockers lower intraocular pressure by reducing fluid production in the eye. Common options include timolol and betaxolol, which are usually used once or twice a day.
You may experience side effects like slow heart rate, lowered blood pressure, breathing difficulties, fatigue, and sometimes impotence.
Alpha-adrenergic agonists both decrease the production of aqueous humor and improve fluid outflow. Potential side effects include irregular heart rate, elevated blood pressure, eye irritation, and fatigue.
Often used two to three times a day, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors reduce the amount of fluid your eye produces. They may cause side effects like metallic taste and tingling sensations.
Rho Kinase inhibitors like Rhoprwessa suppress the rho kinase enzymes that increase fluid production. They are used once daily and may have side effects like eye discomfort and redness.
Cholinergic or miotic agents like pilocarpine boost the outflow of fluid from your eyes. You may experience side effects like headaches, dim vision, and nearsightedness.
If eye drops aren’t enough to lower intraocular pressure, our ophthalmologist may prescribe oral medications like carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Potential side effects of these medications include an upset stomach, tingling in the fingers and toes, frequent urination, and kidney stones.
Using pulses of low-energy laser light, SLT targets melanin-containing cells in the trabecular meshwork. This allows fluid to move through the eye’s drainage channels, lowering eye pressure.
MIGS stands for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery and refers to a group of procedures that tend to take less time and yield faster recoveries than traditional glaucoma procedures. One type of MIGS is goniotomy, which involves making tiny incisions in the trabecular meshwork to improve fluid drainage and lower eye pressure.
If more minimally invasive options or medications are not effective at treating glaucoma, some patients will undergo a trabeculectomy. This involves your surgeon making a small passageway from the inside to the outside of your eye to improve drainage.
