The term "glaucoma" refers to a whole group of diseases, due to which the pressure inside the eyes increases and the person experiences discomfort because of this. Let us analyze the reasons that can lead to the occurrence of this disease. Learn more about the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of glaucoma from the article.
Causes of glaucoma
The advanced age of the patient is the main cause of the disease. Is it possible to cure glaucoma at the initial stage if it is caused by age? Definitely yes, but it cannot be completely avoided. As a rule, this disease is more often manifested in people over 45 years of age. The manifestation of the disease can also be affected by often experienced stress, which is responsible for the increase in pressure: the more a person experiences stress in his life, the more likely he is to get this ailment.
As a rule, the black race and its representatives are more susceptible toglaucoma, so the ethnic factor is very important. Diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and being overweight can also lead to the onset of the disease. Do not overlook chronic eye diseases, as well as their possible injuries. Certain medicines can also influence the development of eye disease by their composition. Not the last role is played by heredity. However, this disease does not have to be congenital, more often people acquire it during their lives.
Who is at risk?
The main cause of blindness worldwide is glaucoma (activated in the age group over 40). For safety reasons, it is necessary to know the main symptoms of an eye disease in order to contact an ophthalmologist in time and avoid disability. It is worth noting that the absence of any symptoms is the most dangerous situation. Since it is only a qualified specialist who is able to determine with accuracy that the ailment that overcomes is precisely glaucoma. Where and how can glaucoma be cured and can the secondary form be brought into remission? Is the therapy done at home or in a medical facility? It all depends on the state of vision and the age of the patient.
Self-diagnosis
There is an opportunity to independently take a he alth test and identify an eye disease, let's get started:
How many positive answers do you have?
- Close your left and right eyes in turn and compare whether you see the same clear image (if you wear glasses, do not take them offrequired)?
- Do you have vascular red mesh in front of your eyes?
- Are there misty haze in the eyes?
- Do you feel heaviness in your eyes?
- Is it difficult to focus at different distances over time?
- Do your eyes tire quickly?
- Do you see bright circles around light sources?
- Does eye pain lead to a headache?
- Did your vision change in the dark?
- Did your eyesight get worse?
If you have several positive answers, you should immediately run to the doctor. Since there is an obvious problem caused by an eye disease, and it will be very good if it is not glaucoma, but something lighter. But in no case should you delay it!
Diagnosis
As a rule, at the initial stage of the disease, the symptoms are not acute, and this is a problem. Because of this, many patients are unaware of their illness. Consider how glaucoma can be diagnosed. Tonometry can be used to measure eye pressure. If it is elevated, then the person is sick. As a rule, before the measurement, anesthetic drops can be applied to the eyes, and then the pressure in the eye is measured using a tonometer. To clearly present the condition of the eyes and determine the type of disease, gonioscopy is necessary. During the examination, the doctor uses a mirror lens, which gives a better view for the diagnosticians.
Ophthalmoscopy
During ophthalmoscopyuse an ophthalmoscope - an instrument that allows you to see the enlarged structure of the eye. To do this, you need to drip your eyes with special drops that dilate the pupil. As a rule, due to glaucoma, the optic nerve is damaged, its fibers die, so it begins to deform.
Pachymetry and perimetry
To measure the thickness of the cornea of the eye, it is necessary to carry out pachymetry. If the cornea differs in thickness, then, as a rule, the pressure inside the eye will be low. And finally, such a type of diagnosis as perimetry allows you to see blackouts on the patient's eye. And the test will show their exact location, for this you need to use a bowl-shaped device called the "perimeter". The computer, in turn, gives a signal to a person that he should see a luminous dot and inform the doctor every time he sees it.
Signs of illness
The deception of the disease is manifested in the fact that it is not shown until the moment it passes into an incurable degree. In the initial stage, it is much easier to cure it. The occurrence occurs more often in middle-aged people who need to measure the pressure inside the eye for preventive purposes. The disease manifests itself in different ways. All patients are divided into 3 groups:
Symptoms of group 1:
- flies flash in front of the eyes;
- sharp eye fatigue during eye strain.
2 group:
- perception of the eye is clouded by periods, objects are visiblethrough a kind of veil, swelling of the cornea occurs, pressure in the pupil increases;
- iridescent circles appear from light sources with the appearance of darkness, outlined by the "circle of the rainbow" of the entire spectrum of colors, in 75% of cases - this develops glaucoma.
3rd group:
head pain like migraine, pain in the temple with a throbbing character
Onset of disease:
- Watering is a sign of early glaucoma. Its occurrence is associated with an imbalance in the replenishment and exit of the ocular fluid of the tissues in the eye, leading to an increase in pressure in the eyes. Hence the increase in the volume of fluid (tears).
- Feeling wet, filling the eye with an imaginary tear. When wiping the eyes, the handkerchief remains dry. Perceived hydration is proportional to the pressure in the eye.
When contacting an ophthalmologist, it is necessary to measure the pressure. Pay attention to families where there are relatives with glaucoma. There is heredity and predisposition here.
Glaucoma refers to diseases where the circulation process of the eye fluid is disturbed. Accumulation of more eye fluid than excretion. There is an increase in pressure. The blood vessels supplying the retina, sheath and nerve are compressed.
First signs - iridescence of circles, foggy field of vision, eye pain, pain in the temple, superciliary arch. Worse with peripheral perception, the visual field narrows in a limited"tunnel". The onset stage is characterized by a change in the parameters of the periphery, the visual structure of the nerves. The features of the disease are poorly expressed or absent. At this stage, drug treatment is especially effective.
Can glaucoma be cured with surgery?
In our time, the surgical treatment of this disease is performed using laser technology and microsurgery. Surgical intervention is necessary if treatment with medication does not give any result. The condition of the eyes does not always improve after the operation, and the pressure inside the eyes may not decrease, so the recovery does not end with the operation.
Surgery using a laser. Varieties of laser surgery during the treatment of the disease. Iridectomy with a laser. This surgical intervention consists in the fact that the laser beam makes a hole in the iris, which allows the fluid inside the eye to circulate much better, due to which the intraocular pressure becomes lower, and the condition of the eyes returns to normal.
Trabeculoplasty with a laser. This type of surgery is now immeasurably important for the treatment of diseases such as glaucoma. During the operation, local anesthesia is applied, while the doctor opens each drainage channel that has been clogged using a laser, which also restores the circulation of the intraocular fluid.
Installation of an implant or tube. This method means that the patient is implanted with a microdevice in the eye, which facilitates the outflow of fluid.
But is it possible to cureglaucoma without surgery?
Treatment with folk remedies
It is not necessary to refuse medical treatment, since it is quite possible to combine it with folk remedies. Is it possible to cure grade 4 glaucoma with such means? At this stage, only surgery is suitable. But at the beginning, traditional medicine is quite suitable.
Duckweed will help in the fight against glaucoma - this is a grass that grows in water, it can be a pond or a lake. It is necessary to wash several bunches of grass and grind in a blender, after which you need to add two glasses of vodka to it. Next, the composition should be infused for about a week. Drink this infusion should be a teaspoon 2 times a day, washed down with any drink.
Glaucoma will also help coriander, cumin and dill, mixed in equal proportions. Boil one teaspoon of dried herbs and leave to cool completely, then strain. It is advisable to drink a glass a day, gradually increasing the amount. You need to take such a decoction for quite some time, but, as a rule, after it, glaucoma goes away forever. As mentioned above, dill is also useful in this disease. It is enough to take a spoonful of seeds and pour them with boiling water, then boil for 5 minutes. In the end, you need to let the broth brew and drink half a glass a day before meals.
Prevention
The best prevention of glaucoma is its early detection and complex treatment. Prevention will helpmaintain excellent vision and eliminate early blindness. In the early stages, the disease is extremely difficult to detect because of its almost asymptomatic course. Therefore, doctors recommend regularly visiting a doctor for examination. After forty years, it is necessary to visit an ophthalmologist every six months.
The doctor may prescribe a course of treatment with drops. They will reduce internal pressure and excessive release of moisture. But during treatment, you should strictly follow the doctor's prescriptions. Do not skip your medications, as then the whole process will not benefit.
In addition, in the initial stages, the doctor may prescribe rehabilitation treatment. Its nature and duration depend on the individual characteristics of the person. Such treatment is recommended to be carried out regularly, approximately once every two to three years. If the patient is at risk, then he should take care of his body and reduce physical and psychological stress.
An older person needs to know the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of glaucoma. This will allow him to start therapy faster when the disease sets in.
