Glaucoma of the eye treatment. Open-angle primary glaucoma. Causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease. Intraocular pressure in glaucoma

The medical term “glaucoma” is commonly understood as a whole group of severe ophthalmological pathologies. The disease gets its name from the Greek word “γλαύκωμα,” the literal translation of which means “blue clouding of the eyes.” Such an exotic name for the disease is due to the special color of the pupil. With glaucoma, it becomes a specific blue-green color, acquires an extended immobile state and leads to complete blindness.

Signs of glaucoma can be diagnosed in a person of any age. However, glaucoma occurs most frequently in older people. So, for example, cases of congenital glaucoma are diagnosed in only one child out of 15-20 thousand children in the first months of life. In people over 75 years of age, diagnosed cases of glaucoma are already more than 3%.

Causes of glaucoma

At the moment, there is no consensus in medical scientific circles about the causes and mechanisms of the development of glaucoma. One of the versions is the theory of the influence of increased intraocular pressure.

It is believed that systematic or periodically occurring increased IOP can lead to trophic disorders in the structure of the eye, impaired fluid outflow and other complications that cause defects in the retina and optic nerve in glaucoma.

The version about the multifactorial nature of glaucoma is also quite common. The combination of factors that cause glaucoma includes hereditary causes, structural anomalies of the visual organs, trauma, pathologies of the nervous, vascular and endocrine systems.

According to this theory, the cumulative effect of all or several of the above factors can trigger the development of glaucoma.

Symptoms of glaucoma

The term “glaucoma” includes more than 60 different types of disease with specific symptoms. Glaucoma of any of these types is primarily characterized by damage to the optic nerve fibers. Over time, the process moves into the stage of complete atrophy of visual function.

The earliest symptom of glaucoma is poor drainage of intraocular fluid from the eyeball. This is followed by deterioration of the blood supply to the tissues of the eye, hypoxia and ischemia of the optic nerves. Lack of oxygen to the tissues of the eye, as one of the signs of glaucoma, leads to gradual destruction and atrophy of the visual fibers.

Some of them may be in a state of so-called parabiosis (sleep). This allows you to restore eye function if treatment for glaucoma is started in a timely manner.

Types of glaucoma

Congenital glaucoma is most often genetically determined or caused by intrauterine infections. Symptoms of this type of glaucoma appear in the first weeks of life. A child is born with high intraocular pressure, bilateral enlargement of the cornea or the entire eyeball. In common parlance, congenital glaucoma is sometimes called hydrocele or bull's eye.

Juvenile or juvenile glaucoma is diagnosed in children over 3 years of age. In late cases of manifestation of signs of glaucoma, the disease can manifest itself up to 35 years. At an older age, diagnosed glaucoma is already called adult glaucoma and can be primary or secondary.

Secondary glaucoma is usually understood as clouding of the pupil and signs of optic nerve atrophy, which have become a complication of another ophthalmological disease.

Types and stages of primary glaucoma

Primary glaucoma is the most common type of the disease. It can be closed-angle or open-angle.

Clinical symptoms of open-angle glaucoma include slow progression of the disease, the absence of any unpleasant sensations in the patient, the appearance of the rainbow circle effect in the late stage of the disease, and gradual blurred vision. Open-angle glaucoma, as a rule, affects both eyes at once, but develops asymmetrically (at a different pace in both eyes).

Angle-closure glaucoma is more often diagnosed in women, since small eye sizes are predisposing factors to this type of disease. Signs of this type of glaucoma include the presence of acute attacks of vision loss. Under the influence of nervous shock, overwork or prolonged work in an uncomfortable position during an attack, sharp blurred vision occurs, pain in the eyes, nausea, and vomiting may occur. Then the patient develops a state of preglaucoma with a period of relatively normal vision.

Depending on the severity of glaucoma, glaucoma is divided into four stages:

• A characteristic symptom of glaucoma of the first (initial) stage is normal vision with a slight distortion of peripheral vision.
• A sign of glaucoma of the second or advanced stage is pronounced impairment of lateral vision and a general narrowing of the visual field.
• At the third advanced stage of glaucoma, a sign of the disease is the preservation of only certain segments of the visual field.
• The fourth terminal stage of glaucoma is characterized by complete blindness.

Diagnosis of glaucoma

The effectiveness of glaucoma treatment depends on timely diagnosis of the disease. The leading importance in it is the determination of intracranial pressure using tonometry or elastotonomery. The quality of the outflow of intraocular fluid in glaucoma is studied using electron tonography.

The perimetry method for measuring the boundaries of vision, as well as gonioscopy, are also of high value in diagnosing the disease. Using the last named method, the structures of the anterior chamber of the eye are examined. The use of scanning laser ophthalmoscopy allows us to identify qualitative and quantitative disorders in the structure of the optic nerves.

Each of these methods is highly informative, therefore, only one of them can be used in dynamic monitoring of the effectiveness of glaucoma treatment.

Treatment for glaucoma can be medication or surgery. Operations for glaucoma, in turn, are also of two types: traditional, performed using a microsurgical scalpel, or laser.

The basis for drug treatment of glaucoma consists of three areas:

• therapy to reduce intraocular pressure,
• improving blood supply to the optic nerves and inner membranes of the eye,
• normalization of metabolism in eye tissues.

Ophthalmic hypotensive therapy (lowering IOP) plays a leading role in the drug treatment of glaucoma. The other two areas are of an auxiliary nature. For example, they use a natural herbal complex from Dr. Pankov to treat diseases of the organs of vision.

The use of conservative treatment of glaucoma is indicated only in the early stages of the disease. For grade III-IV glaucoma and the ineffectiveness of drug therapy in relieving an acute attack, surgery is recommended.

Laser surgery for glaucoma eliminates obstacles to the outflow of intraocular fluid. The technique of laser surgery for glaucoma involves the use of iridectomy or trabeculoplasty. Their essence is to create a micro-explosion for local tissue rupture or to cause a burn with subsequent scarring.

The advantages of laser surgery for glaucoma include a short rehabilitation period, outpatient conditions and local anesthesia during the application of the technique. The main disadvantage of laser surgery for glaucoma is the limited effect. At the stage of mature glaucoma, only radical surgery is used.

The disease is treated surgically using several types of techniques:

• trabeculectomy,
• sclerectomy,
• iridectomy,
• iridocycloretraction, etc.

There is no single standard for the use of one or another type of surgery for glaucoma. In each specific case, the type of surgery for glaucoma is selected individually.

Traditional treatment of glaucoma

The prevalence of the disease has led to the emergence of a huge number of methods of traditional treatment of glaucoma. Some of them, for example, therapeutic nutrition, the use of sunglasses, breathing exercises, and aerial procedures are welcomed by official medicine.

• don't wash the floor
• do not wash
• don't weed
• do not lift heavy objects, etc.

However, it must also be recognized that many methods of treating glaucoma with folk remedies are viewed skeptically by official medicine: be it infusions of duckweed, wood lice, lotions with aloe juice, dropping honey into the eyes, etc.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Up to its complete loss ( more than 15% of all blind people are blind due to glaucoma).

In order to understand how and why intraocular pressure increases during glaucoma, as well as how to deal with this phenomenon, it is necessary to know the anatomical and physiological features of the structure and functioning of the eye.

The human eye consists of a set of tissues, each of which performs its own functions. In the structure of the eye, the eyeball itself is distinguished ( consisting of three shells) and its contents ( that is, the tissues located inside the eyeball).

The eyeball consists of:

• Outer shell. The outer shell consists of the cornea and sclera. The cornea is the front, transparent, slightly protruding part of the outer layer of the eye, while the sclera is opaque and has a characteristic white color.
• Average ( vascular) shells. It consists of the iris, ciliary body and choroid. The iris is a kind of diaphragm located behind the cornea. There is a hole in the center of the iris ( pupil), the diameter of which may vary depending on the lighting. When the light is too bright, the pupil constricts, which protects the eye from excess light particles ( photons). In low light, the pupil dilates, allowing more photons to enter the eye, improving vision in the dark. The iris contains many pigment cells, resulting in a characteristic color ( which may vary from person to person). The choroid is a part of the choroid of the eye, located under the sclera and performing nutritional and protective functions. At the border of the transition of the iris to the choroid there is the so-called ciliary body, inside of which there is the ciliary muscle. The ciliary body produces intraocular fluid and also participates in the act of accommodation ( accommodation allows a person to focus vision on objects located at different distances from the eye).
• Inner shell ( retina). The retina is a layer of photosensitive nerve cells located at the back of the eye. These cells capture light particles and convert them into nerve impulses, which are carried through the corresponding nerves to the brain and form images of observed objects.

• Vitreous body. A transparent jelly-like substance that fills more than half of the eyeball ( that is, the entire space from the ciliary body to the retina) and responsible for maintaining its shape.
• Lens. This is a biconvex lens that is located directly behind the iris and takes part in the process of accommodation. The lens substance itself is surrounded by a capsule, along the edges of which there are many ligaments connecting the lens capsule to the ciliary body. The lens has a certain refractive power, that is, it helps focus light rays directly on the retina. The refractive power of the lens depends on the distance at which the object being viewed is located. When a person looks at a nearby object, the ciliary muscle contracts, which leads to an anterior displacement of the ciliary body itself. As a result, the tension of the lens ligaments is weakened and the lens itself becomes more convex, which increases its refractive power. When a person looks into the distance, the opposite process takes place - the ciliary muscle relaxes, the ciliary body moves back, as a result of which the ligaments of the lens tighten, the lens itself flattens, and its refractive power decreases.
• Watery moisture. Intraocular fluid, which is produced by the ciliary body and provides nutrition to intraocular structures that lack blood vessels ( cornea, lens).
• Anterior chamber of the eye. This is a small space bounded by the cornea in front and the iris in the back.
• Posterior chamber of the eye. Bounded by the iris in front and the lens in the back. The anterior and posterior chambers are filled with intraocular fluid and are connected to each other through the pupil.
• Intraocular division of the optic nerve ( optic disc). As mentioned earlier, photosensitive cells are located on the inner surface of the eye. They capture photons and convert them into nerve impulses, which then travel through special nerve fibers to the brain. These nerve fibers originate in the retinal region of the eye and join together near the posterior pole to form the optic disc.

Pathogenesis ( development mechanism) glaucoma

Under normal conditions, aqueous humor is formed by special cells of the ciliary body, and the rate of its formation is controlled by the nervous system ( each eye produces from 3 to 9 ml of aqueous humor per day). The resulting fluid first enters the posterior chamber of the eye, and then passes through the pupil into the anterior chamber. In the anterior chamber, at the border of the iris and cornea, there is the so-called angle of the anterior chamber of the eye, into which aqueous humor flows. Through the angle of the anterior chamber it enters the trabecular meshwork ( trabeculae are peculiar plates, partitions, between which there is free space), and from it is absorbed into the veins of the choroid and returned back to the systemic circulation. According to the described mechanism, more than 85% of all fluid is removed from the chambers of the eye. At the same time, about 15% of aqueous humor seeps through the tissues of the ciliary body and is absorbed directly into the vessels of the sclera.

When the process of outflow of intraocular fluid is disrupted, it begins to accumulate in the chambers of the eye in excess quantities, which is the direct cause of increased intraocular pressure and the development of glaucoma.

Types and forms of glaucoma

Depending on the time of occurrence, there are:

• congenital glaucoma;
• adult glaucoma.

• glaucoma with increased intraocular pressure;
• glaucoma with normal intraocular pressure.

• open-angle glaucoma;
• angle-closure glaucoma.

Open angle glaucoma

The causes of trabecular block can be:

• Underdevelopment of the trabecular meshwork– as a result of congenital developmental anomalies.
• Blockage of the trabecular meshwork– pigment cells, tissue decay products, and so on.
• Underdevelopment of the ciliary muscle– helps to reduce the tone of the trabecular meshwork, which becomes less permeable to aqueous humor.
• Age-related changes in the trabecular meshwork– after 40 years, its throughput decreases, that is, the amount of intraocular fluid that can pass through it into the vascular bed per unit of time decreases.

Angle-closure glaucoma

Closure of the anterior chamber angle may be due to:

• Pupil block. In this case, there is a tight fit of the anterior surface of the lens to the pupil, as a result of which its lumen may be completely blocked. Normally, through the pupil there is an outflow of aqueous humor from the posterior chamber of the eye to the anterior chamber. With pupillary block, this process is disrupted, as a result of which fluid accumulates in the posterior chamber, increasing the pressure in it. As a result, the iris moves ( squeezed out) anteriorly, which leads to overlap of the anterior chamber angle. The development of pupillary block is predisposed by the small size of the eyeball, large lens, and farsightedness ( in which the lens is constantly in an expanded state), stress ( in this case, there is a pronounced contraction of all the muscles of the iris, as a result of which it can move posteriorly and fit tightly to the anterior surface of the lens).
• Pupil dilation. As mentioned earlier, the pupil is a round hole located in the center of the iris. When the pupil dilates, the iris contracts, resulting in the formation of a small fold at its base, which under certain conditions can block the entrance to the corner of the anterior chamber. The development of this condition can be facilitated by an anatomically narrow angle of the anterior chamber, as well as long-term use of certain medications that dilate the pupil ( for example, atropine).
• Displacement of the vitreous body. This may be due to fluid accumulation ( blood) or tumor growth in the back of the eye. In this case, the vitreous body moves anteriorly, pushing the lens into the pupil, which, according to the previously described mechanisms, leads to closure of the anterior chamber angle.

Mixed glaucoma

Causes of glaucoma

Primary glaucoma

• Genetic predisposition. It has been scientifically proven that the human genome contains at least two genes, damage to which can contribute to the development of glaucoma. These genes are transmitted in a dominant manner. This means that if at least one parent has the defective gene, the child has a 50% chance of inheriting a predisposition to glaucoma. If both parents have defective genes, the probability of passing them on to the child will be from 75% to 100%. It is immediately worth noting that the presence of defects in these genes is only a predisposing, but not a determining factor in the development of the disease. That is, if a person has these genes, when exposed to other risk factors, the likelihood of developing glaucoma will be higher than for people with a normal genome.
• Violation of the nervous regulation of eye functions. In this case, we are talking about the improper functioning of some parts of the central nervous system, as a result of which the circulation of intraocular fluid is disrupted, and some intraocular formations also develop and function incorrectly.
• Age-related visual impairment. With age ( especially after 40 years) there is a disruption of microcirculation processes in the ciliary body, in trabecular structures and in other intraocular formations, which contributes to disruption of the outflow of intraocular fluid, increased intraocular pressure and the development of glaucoma.
• Race. Some studies have found that African Americans have slightly higher intraocular pressure than Europeans. That is why their risk of developing glaucoma is increased, and age-related changes in intraocular structures begin to develop at an earlier date.
• Farsightedness and myopia. The average intraocular pressure in these diseases remains virtually unchanged, but such patients are more predisposed to glaucoma than other people. When glaucoma develops, their vision is impaired earlier and complications develop faster.
• Impaired blood supply to intraocular structures. If microcirculation in the area of ​​the retina or optic nerve is disrupted, the stability of these tissues decreases, as a result of which, even with a slight increase in intraocular pressure, visual impairment characteristic of glaucoma may occur.

Secondary glaucoma

Depending on the cause of development, secondary glaucoma can be:

• Uveal post-inflammatory. In this case, we are talking about inflammatory diseases that affect the choroid of the eye. These diseases can be complicated by damage ( blockage) trabecular meshwork, the formation of intraocular adhesions or even fusion of the pupil, which will entail an increase in intraocular pressure ( due to disruption of the outflow of intraocular fluid) and progression of glaucoma.
• Phacogenic ( developing as a result of damage to the lens). The cause of lens displacement may be its dislocation due to injury. In this case, the lens can compress the iris or even block the pupil, disrupting the outflow of intraocular fluid and leading to an increase in IOP. Glaucoma can also develop with cataracts, in which swelling of the lens fibers occurs. The lens itself expands and blocks the pupil.
• Neovascular. In this case, the cause of the development of glaucoma is a violation of the blood supply to the retina associated with damage to its blood vessels ( what can be observed in diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and other pathologies). In response to this, the process of angiogenesis is activated, that is, the formation of new vessels in the retina itself, as well as in the iris. These vessels clog the natural outflow pathways of intraocular fluid, which leads to increased intraocular pressure.
• Traumatic. The cause of increased intraocular pressure after injury may be intraocular bleeding, displacement of the lens, damage ( chemical) choroid, block of the intraocular fluid outflow system, and so on.
• Post-burn. In the first hours after an eye burn, there may be a pronounced increase in the production of intraocular fluid, which will not have time to be removed, thereby increasing intraocular pressure. Further ( as you recover) in damaged tissues, restoration processes are activated, which can lead to the formation of connective tissue scars and blockage of the outflow pathways of aqueous humor.
• Postoperative. Secondary glaucoma can develop after surgery to remove the lens, after surgical treatment of retinal detachment, and so on. The cause of increased intraocular pressure may be damage to the trabecular meshwork, accompanied by the formation of scars and impaired outflow of intraocular fluid.
• Aphakic. Afakia ( absence of lens) may be congenital or acquired ( for example, after surgery to remove the lens). The reason for the increase in intraocular pressure in this case may be prolapse of the vitreous body and its pinching in the pupil.
• Hemolytic. With massive intraocular hemorrhage, the process of hemolysis begins ( destruction of blood cells). The resulting byproducts clog the trabecular meshwork and damage it, impairing the outflow of intraocular fluid.
• Neoplastic. In this case, the cause of the development of glaucoma is tumors of the eye or orbit, which during the growth process can compress the natural outflow pathways of aqueous humor. Also, as tumors grow, they can metastasize ( some tumor cells break away from the main mass of the tumor and migrate to neighboring tissues and organs). With metastatic lesions ( blockage) trabecular meshwork may also increase intraocular pressure.
• Pigmented. The iris of the eye contains a large amount of melanin pigment, which determines the color of a person's eyes. In some cases, there may be excessive formation of this pigment, as a result of which it accumulates on the surface of the iris and even penetrates the trabecular meshwork, clogging it and leading to an increase in intraocular pressure.

Congenital glaucoma

The causes of congenital glaucoma can be:

• Intrauterine anomalies of fetal development. If the process of embryo development is disrupted, various defects may form in the structure of the eyeball, lens, iris, and trabecular meshwork. All these defects can lead to disruption of the outflow of intraocular fluid and to the development of glaucoma after the birth of a child.
• Dysgenesis of the anterior chamber angle. During the prenatal period, the fetus has a certain amount of embryonic tissue in the area of ​​the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye, which is normally completely absorbed by the time of birth. If this does not happen, its remains block the outflow of aqueous humor, which leads to the development of glaucoma.
• Other eye diseases. Various injuries and damage to the eye in the prenatal period or during childbirth can disrupt the development of intraocular structures or damage them ( lead to dislocation of the lens, inflammation of the choroid, and so on), which can also cause an increase in IOP and the development of glaucoma.

Congenital glaucoma can appear immediately after the birth of a child or at an older age.

Depending on the moment of manifestation there are:

• Primary congenital glaucoma– develops immediately after the birth of a child or in the first 3 years of life.
• Children's room ( infantile) glaucoma– develops between the ages of 3 and 10 years and is characterized by the same functional changes as primary congenital glaucoma.
• Juvenile glaucoma– develops in children and adolescents over 10 years of age.

Glaucoma with normal intraocular pressure

The development of glaucoma with normal intraocular pressure can be promoted by:

• Vasospasm– pronounced contraction of the blood vessels of the retina, leading to disruption of trophism ( nutrition) photosensitive nerve cells.
• Atherosclerosis– damage to the vascular wall of arteries, characterized by impaired microcirculation in various organs ( including in the area of ​​the retina and optic nerve).
• Increased intracranial pressure– may interfere with the outflow of blood from the retinal vessels.

Symptoms and signs of glaucoma

The first and often the only manifestation of open-angle glaucoma may be visual impairment, but this symptom is felt by patients only in advanced cases. It is important to note that first of all there is a decrease ( narrowing) visual fields, and only in advanced cases there is a decrease in visual acuity ( that is, the ability to see objects clearly). The mechanism of development of this symptom is as follows. When focusing vision on any object, the light rays reflected from it fall directly into the central zone of the retina ( into the fovea), in which the most light-sensitive neurons are concentrated. It is the neurons of the fovea that are responsible for visual acuity, while all other neurons are responsible for peripheral vision.

As mentioned earlier, the optic nerve is formed from many nerve fibers that transmit nerve impulses from photosensitive cells. In this case, the nerve fibers coming from the peripheral parts of the retina are located at the edges of the optic nerve, while the fibers from the central parts are located in its thickness. When intraocular pressure increases, it is the marginal nerve fibers that are primarily affected, and since they are responsible for peripheral vision, as glaucoma progresses, the visual field narrows first.

With slowly progressing open-angle glaucoma, a person may not notice the developing defect for a long time, since the narrowing of the visual field in one eye is compensated by the second eye. However, at a certain moment the patient may notice to himself that he does not notice his own nose ( Normally, the field of view of each eye includes the back and tip of the nose) or notices only its tip, while previously he also saw the back. This is explained by the fact that as glaucoma progresses, the visual fields from the side of the nose “lose” first, and then from the periphery. Further ( in a few weeks or months) the patient may stop noticing any objects located on the sides, especially if he closes one eye. If you do not consult a doctor at this stage and start treatment, after a certain time the same changes will occur in the second eye. With further progression of glaucoma, visual fields will decrease until the person becomes completely blind.

Other manifestations of open-angle glaucoma may include:

• for example, atropine).

• Severe pain in the area of ​​the affected eye. The pain may radiate ( spread) into the brow ridge, into the corresponding half of the head. When pressing on the affected eye, the pain intensifies, while the eyeball itself has a “stony” density ( very hard).
• Severe redness of the eye. Occurs as a result of impaired blood circulation in the choroid.
• Changes in the cornea. The cornea on the affected side appears rough, dull, and less shiny than the cornea of ​​the unaffected eye. This is explained by a violation of the circulation of intraocular fluid, which normally washes and nourishes the cornea.
• Visual impairment. Patients may complain of “fog before the eyes,” “rainbow circles around light sources.” There is a pronounced and progressive narrowing of the visual fields.
• Nausea and vomiting. During an acute attack of glaucoma, nausea and uncontrollable vomiting may develop. This is explained by the fact that when the eye is irritated, a powerful flow of nerve impulses arises, which spread to other nerve structures and nerve fibers, leading to disruption of the functions of other organs ( gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system and so on).
• Pain in the heart area. They also arise as a result of the spread of nerve impulses to neighboring nerve centers and nerve fibers. Heart pain during an attack of glaucoma may be accompanied by bradycardia, that is, a decrease in heart rate to less than 50 - 60 per minute.

Chronic angle-closure glaucoma

The more often the attacks are repeated, the more adhesions can form, and the more the process of outflow of aqueous humor will be disrupted, which over time will cause the development of chronic angle-closure glaucoma. The clinical manifestations of this form of the disease are similar to those of the open-angle form, but are periodically interrupted by regular exacerbations.

Symptoms of glaucoma in children

The cornea of ​​the eye may also be subject to stretching, as a result of which microtears may appear on it. At the sites of ruptures, reparative ( restorative) processes accompanied by the formation of new blood vessels, which can ultimately lead to clouding of the cornea. This is why visual disturbances occur more often in young children than in adults.

The causes and symptoms of an acute attack of glaucoma in children are no different from those in adults.

Glaucoma is a progressive disease that leads to irreversible blindness. Due to increased intraocular pressure in glaucoma, retinal cells are destroyed, the optic nerve atrophies, and visual signals stop entering the brain. A person begins to see worse, peripheral vision is impaired, as a result of which the visibility area is limited.

Mentions of glaucoma (translated from Greek this word means “green color of the sea”) are found in the works of Hippocrates dating back to 400 BC. However, modern ideas about glaucoma began to take shape only in the middle of the 9th century.

Currently, glaucoma is understood as a fairly large group of diseases, often of different origins and with different courses. There is still no consensus on what causes the development of these ailments, but in the absence of treatment, their outcome is the same - optic nerve atrophy and blindness.

“Risk groups” for glaucoma include:

• people over 60-70 years of age who do not even have eye complaints;
• people over 40 years of age who:
  • intraocular pressure is in the upper limit of normal;
  • the difference between the intraocular pressure of the right and left eyes is more than 5 mmHg. Art.;
  • the difference between intraocular pressure measured in the morning and evening is more than 5 mmHg. Art.;
• people with a high degree of myopia after 40-50 years, with a high degree of farsightedness (especially women after 50 years);
• people with increased intraocular pressure, regardless of age;
• people with low (relative to age norm) blood pressure;
• people with diabetes, endocrine, nervous and cardiovascular diseases;
• people who have suffered eye injuries, inflammatory diseases (uveitis, iridocyclitis, etc.) of the eyes, eye surgery;
• relatives (including distant ones) of patients with glaucoma with similar structural features of the eye;
• people undergoing a long course of treatment with hormonal drugs.

Glaucoma can occur at any age, but the disease most often develops in older people.

Age groups

Newborns

Disease frequency

There is 1 case of glaucoma in approximately 10,000 newborns.

Experts diagnose primary glaucoma in approximately 0.1% of the population.

In this age group, glaucoma occurs in approximately 1.5-2% of cases.

According to the World Health Organization, glaucoma is a major disease that, if not treated promptly, irreversibly causes blindness. More than 5 million people have lost their sight due to glaucoma, accounting for 13.5% of all blind people in the world.

Causes of glaucoma development

In a healthy eye, a certain pressure is constantly maintained (18-22 mm Hg) due to the balance of fluid inflow and outflow. With glaucoma, this circulation is disrupted, fluid accumulates, and intraocular pressure begins to rise. The optic nerve and other structures of the eye experience increased stress, and the blood supply to the eye is disrupted. As a result, the optic nerve atrophies and visual signals stop reaching the brain. A person begins to see worse, peripheral vision is impaired, as a result of which the area of ​​​​visibility is limited - and eventually blindness may occur.

Glaucoma is an irreversible disease. Therefore, it is very important to start treatment on time.

The main symptoms of glaucoma are:

• pain, pain, feeling of heaviness in the eyes, narrowing of the field of vision;
• blurred vision, the appearance of a “mesh” before the eyes;
• when looking at a bright light, for example, a lamp, “rainbow circles” appear before the eyes;
• deterioration of vision in the evening and at night;
• feeling of eye moistening;
• minor pain around the eyes;
• redness of the eyes.

Forms of glaucoma

• Open angle glaucoma
• Angle-closure glaucoma

Open angle form is diagnosed in more than 90% of cases of glaucoma. In open-angle glaucoma, access to the natural drainage system is open, but its functions are impaired. The result is a gradual increase in intraocular pressure. As a rule, open-angle glaucoma is characterized by an asymptomatic, almost imperceptible course of the disease. Since the field of vision narrows gradually (the process can continue for several years), a person sometimes accidentally discovers that he can see in only one eye. In some cases, one can identify complaints about the periodic appearance of rainbow circles when looking at a light source, “fogging,” and asthenopic complaints associated with weakened accommodation.

At angle-closure glaucoma intraocular fluid accumulates due to the fact that there is no access to the natural drainage system of the eye - the iris blocks the angle of the anterior chamber. As a result, the pressure increases, and this can lead to an acute attack of glaucoma, which is accompanied by:

• sharp pain in the eye and the corresponding half of the head;
• obvious visual disturbances (blurred vision or its sharp decrease up to complete blindness);
• redness of the eye (dilation of the vessels of the anterior segment of the eyeball), corneal edema, decreased depth of the anterior chamber, dilation of the pupil and lack of its reaction to light;
• the appearance of halos around light sources.

Ophthalmologists draw attention to the fact that as a result of an acute attack of glaucoma, sudden loss of vision is possible.

Diagnosis of glaucoma

To detect the onset of the disease, simply measuring intraocular pressure is not enough. It is necessary to examine the fundus and optic nerve head in detail, as well as examine the visual fields, that is, conduct a thorough diagnostic examination.

In Excimer ophthalmology clinics, examinations are performed using a whole range of modern computerized equipment and include:

• study of the visual field (using a computer perimeter);
• measurement of refraction (the ability of the optical system of the eye to refract light rays);
• measurement of intraocular pressure;
• ultrasound examinations;
• determining the depth of the anterior chamber of the eye and the thickness of the lens (since high pressure is often caused by displacement or enlargement of the lens);
• Using gonioscopy, the structure of the anterior chamber angle, through which fluid outflows from the eye, is assessed.

Also, during the diagnosis, an examination is necessarily carried out on a computer perimeter and on a fundus analyzer - a unique device available in the equipment of a few Russian clinics. This makes it possible to identify the initial manifestations of glaucoma that occur before changes in the visual field, and to stop the onset of the pathological process in time.

Remember, without timely detection of the disease and timely treatment, vision is irretrievably lost! The Excimer Clinic offers its patients the most advanced and reliable methods for diagnosing and treating glaucoma. Don’t delay treatment, don’t risk the health of your eyes!

Cost of basic services

Glaucoma is a large group of eye diseases that gradually impair vision without any initial symptoms. In the early stages of the disease, there may be no symptoms. The cause of this condition is too high blood pressure prevailing in the eyeball. The disease leads to complete or partial blindness. For any form of glaucoma, early treatment can reduce intraocular pressure and maintain it within normal limits. This reduces the harmful effects on the retina and optic nerve to a minimum.

What is eye glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease that increases intraocular pressure (IOP) and damages the optic nerve. Translated from Greek it means “blue clouding of the eye”, “the color of sea water”. Other names for the disease are “green water”, “green cataract”. At the same time, vision decreases, up to the onset of blindness. One of the main external signs is a change in the color of the pupil - its repainting into a greenish or azure tint.

ICD code for glaucoma:

• ICD-10: H40-H42;
• ICD-9: 365.

According to statistics, about 70 million people suffer from glaucoma in the world, and a million of them live in Russia. Experts predict that 80 million people will be affected by this disease in 2020.

Causes

Glaucoma is usually caused by a failure to maintain the proper balance between the amount of internal (intraocular) fluid produced and the amount of fluid drained in the eye.

The underlying causes of this imbalance are usually related to the form of glaucoma that the person suffers from. Normally, this fluid flows out of the eye socket through a special channel. When it becomes blocked (usually a congenital anomaly), excessive fluid accumulates inside the eye and glaucoma develops.

Intraocular pressure may increase due to two reasons:

1. Intraocular fluid is formed in excessive quantities;
2. The removal of fluid through the drainage system of the eye is impaired due to its changes.

Other causes of blockage of the excretory channel are:

• imbalance between the outflow and inflow of aqueous humor into the eye cavity, accompanied by increased intraocular pressure;
• myopia;
• elderly, senile age;
• heredity;
• the presence of myopia;
• inflammatory eye diseases, for example, uveitis;
• taking medications to dilate the pupil;
• smoking, drinking alcohol;
• presence of diseases: diabetes mellitus, hypotension, atherosclerosis, disorders of the thyroid gland;
• eye tumor;
• burns, eye injuries.

Depending on the causes of the formation of the disease, there are several types of glaucoma: primary, congenital, secondary.

1. Primary glaucoma appears in middle-aged people as a result of myopia, heredity, diabetes, dysfunction of the nervous system, thyroid gland, and unstable blood pressure.
2. Congenital develops as a result of failures during the embryonic development of the visual organs in the fetus. The cause may also be an inflammatory process, injury, or tumor during pregnancy.
3. Secondary: causes and symptoms depend on the original disease, which subsequently led to the formation of pathology.

Risk factors for developing glaucoma are:

• Age, especially after 60 years;
• Myopia (myopic refraction);
• Farsightedness;
• Heredity;
• Pupil dilation;
• Small eyes found in people of East Asian descent, such as Eskimos. The risk of developing the disease increases up to 40 times, and in women even more (3 times), which is due to the smaller volume of the anterior eye chamber.

Forms of the disease

For any form, it is necessary to undergo clinical observation by an ophthalmologist in the eye office, monitor it at least once every 3 months, and select adequate treatment with the help of a doctor. There are several forms of glaucoma.

Open angle glaucoma

The insidiousness of this disease is that, as a rule, it progresses unnoticed. The eye looks normal, a person most often does not feel an increase in intraocular pressure, and the disease in the early stages can only be diagnosed by an ophthalmologist during a routine examination.

Angle-closure glaucoma

A relatively rare form in which the pressure in the eye rises too quickly. Angle-closure glaucoma mainly occurs with farsightedness in people over 30 years of age.

These two forms of glaucoma differ in the mechanism of obstruction of the outflow of intraocular fluid.

Symptoms of glaucoma (eye photo)

Most people are asymptomatic until severe vision problems develop. The first complaint of patients is usually loss of peripheral vision, which often goes unaddressed, and the disease continues to progress. In some cases, people may complain of decreased vision in the dark, the appearance of rainbow circles, and headaches. Sometimes it is noted that one eye sees, the other does not.

Glaucoma is characterized by three main symptoms:

1. increased intraocular pressure;
2. narrowing of the field of view;
3. change in the optic nerve.

The field of vision may be narrowed, so-called tunnel vision appears, which can develop to the point of complete loss of vision. An acute attack is accompanied by sharp pain in the eye, in the forehead, deterioration of the general condition, nausea, and vomiting.

In order to recognize glaucoma in time, it is important to know its symptoms and the patient’s subjective feelings.

About every fifth patient notes that they began to see rainbow circles when looking at a light source (for example, a light bulb); many complain of a “fog” or a veil appearing before their eyes from time to time.

Both types of glaucoma can cause blindness by damaging the optic nerve; however, with early detection and treatment, intraocular pressure can be controlled and severe vision loss can be prevented.

Stages of the disease

There are 4 stages of glaucoma. The stage of this disease is determined by the degree of damage to the optic nerve. This lesion manifests itself in a narrowing of the visual fields:

• 1st degree – visual fields are narrowed, but in all meridians wider than 45 degrees
• 2nd degree - visual fields are narrowed in all meridians and in at least one is between 45 and 15 degrees
• 3rd degree for glaucoma - visual fields are narrowed in all meridians and in at least one is between 15 degrees and 0
• 4th degree is complete blindness or residual vision sufficient only to recognize light/shadow.

A person with risk factors for developing glaucoma needs to consult an ophthalmologist. If an ophthalmological examination is carried out on time and the disease is detected at an early stage, then, as a rule, the treatment stops the further development of the disease.

Diagnostics

Early detection of glaucoma has important prognostic significance, determining the effectiveness of treatment and the state of visual function. Determination of IOP, detailed study of the fundus and optic disc, examination of the visual field, and examination of the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye play a leading role in diagnosis.

The following methods are used to diagnose the disease:

• Perimetry and campimetry. Necessary for identifying central and paracentral scotomas and narrowing fields of vision.
• Measuring intraocular pressure. Daily tonometry is especially informative. Glaucoma is indicated by significant fluctuations in IOP throughout the day.
• Direct or indirect ophthalmoscopy, biomicroscopy using a high-diopter lens. Allows you to see changes in the fundus.
• Ultrasound examination, gonioscopy, electrophysiological and some other studies
• Checking the condition of the fundus. In most patients with suspected glaucoma and with the initial stage, the fundus of the eye is usually normal. However, in some cases, a sign such as a shift of the vascular bundle on the optic nerve head is noted.

As a preventive diagnosis of glaucoma, regular measurement of intraocular pressure is recommended: at the age of 35-40 years - at least once a year, at the age of 55-60 and older - at least 1-2 times a year. If deviations are detected, you should immediately undergo a full examination.

Diagnosing the disease in a child is quite difficult due to the impossibility of carrying out certain procedures. The main methods for diagnosing glaucoma in children include:

• general examination by an ophthalmologist (assessing the anatomy and functionality of the eye);
• studying the patient’s medical history (identifying genetic predisposition, studying symptoms);
• measuring intraocular pressure levels;
• study of optic nerve cells;
• diagnostic examination using anesthesia in a hospital setting.

Doctors have not identified the main reasons that provoke the development of glaucoma in children. Experts are inclined to believe that the disease can manifest itself due to hereditary predisposition or due to the influence of other factors while the child is in the womb.

• The appearance of a “veil” when looking at a light source;
• Deterioration of vision;
• Severe headaches;
• Redness of the eyeballs;
• Loss of peripheral and then central vision.

Glaucoma treatment

Glaucoma can be treated with eye drops, medications, laser surgery, traditional surgery, or a combination of these methods. The goal of any treatment is to prevent vision loss, since vision loss is irreversible. The good news is that glaucoma can be controlled if it is caught early, and that with medication and/or surgery, most people will retain their vision.

Treatment of any type of glaucoma is aimed primarily at normalizing intraocular pressure:

• using drops(selection of medications and instillation regimen is individual, determined after examination)
• using laser therapy(carried out when drug therapy is ineffective).
• through surgery(carried out when drug therapy is ineffective; after surgery, the patient is freed from the need to use drops for 5-7 years).

Drops for glaucoma

The basis for drug treatment is three areas:

• therapy to reduce intraocular pressure,
• improving blood supply to the optic nerves and inner membranes of the eye,
• normalization of metabolism in eye tissues.

Ophthalmic hypotensive therapy (lowering IOP) plays a leading role in the drug treatment of glaucoma. The other two areas are of an auxiliary nature.

Drops according to their action are divided into three large groups:

1. drugs that improve the outflow of intraocular fluid (for example, Xalatan, Carbachol, Glaucon, etc.),
2. drugs that inhibit intraocular fluid products (Clonidine, Timoptik, Okumed, Betoptik, Azopt, etc.),
3. combined (or mixed) drugs (Cosopt, Fotil, etc.)

If, against this background, intraocular pressure returns to normal, the patient should, without stopping using the drops, regularly consult an ophthalmologist to undergo a complete ophthalmological examination and monitor IOP.

Laser correction

Laser treatment of glaucoma is used when the effectiveness of conservative drug therapy decreases and is intended to form additional pathways for the outflow of intraocular fluid.

The most popular laser treatment methods:

• trabeculoplasty;
• iridectomy;
• gonioplasty;
• trabeculopuncture (outflow activation);
• descemetogoniopuncture;
• transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (contact and non-contact).

The operation is performed under local anesthesia. A device is installed on the eye - a goniolens, which limits the effect of the laser only on the selected area.

Surgery

Surgical treatment of glaucoma is aimed at creating an alternative system for the outflow of intraocular fluid or at normalizing the circulation of intraocular fluid or reducing its production. As a result, intraocular pressure is compensated without medications.

Surgery for glaucoma:

• painless (performed under intravenous anesthesia),
• lasts about 20-40 minutes, outpatient,
• The postoperative period ranges from 1 to 3 weeks (during this period the patient is prescribed anti-inflammatory drops), discomfort in the eye area is possible within 5-7 days.

Maintain proper nutrition

Nutrition for eye glaucoma plays an important role in the process of combating this disease. Thanks to a properly formulated diet, it is quite possible to improve the results of drug treatment and reduce the risk of complications.

To successfully combat the disease, people suffering from glaucoma should receive sufficient daily amounts of B vitamins, as well as A, C and E. They help improve the functioning of the visual organ and prevent further progression of the disease.

The diet should be aimed mainly at protecting nerve cells and fibers from damage caused by high intraocular pressure. To do this, it is necessary to pay special attention to antioxidant substances and foods that are rich in them.

However, there are also products not recommended for use during glaucoma, since they can weaken the effectiveness of medications and aggravate the patient’s condition. These products include fatty, smoked, spicy foods, as well as preserved food. Alcoholic drinks, strong tea or coffee are completely excluded. Smoking should also become one of the prohibitions in order to eliminate the negative impact on the vessels of the visual organ.

Folk remedies for glaucoma

Before treating glaucoma using traditional recipes, you need to divide all recipes into local (eye drops, compresses, etc.) and general ones, which can be regularly taken orally. Beneficial substances contained in plant and natural ingredients, even when taken orally, have a positive effect.

1. Aloe. Wash one aloe leaf and chop finely. Pour a glass of boiling water over the mixture. Infuse aloe for three hours, then strain and you can wash your eyes two to three times a day.
2. Honey drops: dissolve honey in warm boiled water at the rate of 1 to 3 and drop 1 drop in the morning and evening until lasting improvement.
3. Dill seed compress- to do this, put some dill seeds in a small linen bag and lower the bag into boiling water. After 2-3 minutes, remove the bag, cool slightly and apply warm to your eyes overnight.
4. Take duckweed - a grass that grows in water, for example, in a pond. Wash it and put it through a blender, that is, just chop it. Then pour in two hundred grams of vodka and keep it like that for four days. Take one tablespoon three times a day with a quarter glass of water.

Note! There are currently no 100% effective traditional methods for treating glaucoma. The remedies are aimed at restoring normal IOP and preventing the disease.

Forecast

If left untreated, the disease leads to complete blindness. And even treatment and prevention of complications carried out for glaucoma do not always lead to improvement. Approximately 15% of patients completely lose vision in at least one eye within 20 years.

Prevention

The disease may result in disability, but the prognosis is favorable if treated at an initial stage. Prevention of glaucoma should consist of regular examination by an ophthalmologist, if a person has poor heredity or somatic factors.

Patients suffering from glaucoma should be registered with an ophthalmologist, regularly visit a specialist every 2-3 months, and receive recommended treatment for life.

Prevention methods:

• Watch TV in good lighting;
• When reading after 15 minutes you need to take breaks;
• Eat according to your age, limiting sugar and animal fats. Eat natural vegetables and fruits;
• Test before drinking coffee. Measure intraocular pressure 1 hour after drinking coffee. If it does not increase, you can drink the drink;
• Nicotine is harmful to the eyes, so you should get rid of the habit to cure the disease;
• Good sleep, taking 2-3 teaspoons of honey at night, warm foot baths - reduce pressure inside the eyes;
• To prevent the occurrence of glaucoma and simply to maintain good or sufficient vision, physical activity is necessary

Glaucoma is an extremely dangerous eye disease that occurs due to increased intraocular pressure. This is observed due to disruptions in the circulation of intraocular fluid. Nerve fibers begin to die, and vision steadily decreases. This problem cannot be ignored, since glaucoma can ultimately even lead to complete loss of vision. Today we will briefly discuss the classification of different types of glaucoma and talk about the signs in different cases. The most important thing is to consider in detail the symptoms of glaucoma characteristic of the early stages of the disease. This plays a huge role, since it is desirable to be able to diagnose the disease at the initial stage of development. Then it is easier to cope with it, prevent complications, and eliminate the threat of vision loss.

Of course, it is extremely difficult to immerse yourself completely in the modern medical classification of glaucoma, especially without the appropriate medical education. We will present a more simplified diagram that is understandable to every person. It is customary to distinguish the following forms of the disease:

• congenital;
• primary;
• secondary.

Now we primarily pay attention to diseases that occur in people in old, middle age. Secondary glaucoma appears as a complication after injury, while congenital glaucoma accompanies a person throughout his life. It is important for us to learn how to diagnose early glaucoma based on its characteristic symptoms, so we consider in detail the primary form of this dangerous disease.

Here are the types of primary glaucoma known. Let's talk about the key characteristics.

Experts note that the main risk is associated with the closed-angle form of glaucoma. This course of the disease is the most complex, as it is associated with great difficulties for the patient’s life. Many restrictions immediately arise that have a huge impact on everyday life:

• You can’t tilt your head too often;
• It is prohibited to work in places with elevated air temperatures;
• It is forbidden to strain your eyesight in the dark, twilight, or in poor lighting;
• It is imperative to strictly limit the amount of liquid consumed throughout the day;
• Any medications that cause pupil dilation or increased intraocular pressure are contraindicated.

It is important to be extremely attentive to your health and take care of it. The thing is that any careless step, especially related to the use of medications, can easily lead to irreversible consequences and severe complications.

Risk factors

Let's outline the key points.

1. You need to give up bad habits so as not to provoke an increase in blood pressure.
2. You need to watch your diet and drink less liquid.
3. It is extremely important to strictly monitor the use of medications. The most common cases are: doctors stop an attack, for example, of asthma or hypertension, by administering aminophylline. This is precisely what provokes an acute attack of glaucoma. In this case, the patient may completely lose vision.

The only conclusion that can be drawn is that you need to know that a person has glaucoma. Only then can measures be taken to prevent serious complications, including blindness, in time.

Symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma

Now we will briefly outline the key signs characteristic of the clinical picture of the course of angle-closure glaucoma.

1. Vision begins to blur, objects become blurred.
2. In the area of ​​the brow ridges and in the eyes, pain occurs from time to time.
3. The most important symptom is the appearance of bright rainbow circles around light sources and ordinary objects.
4. The disease can occur cyclically. Periods of sharp exacerbation are replaced by relief, when the person begins to feel that everything is in order. In fact, the disease continues to develop at this time, and the condition of the eyes worsens.
5. A detailed ophthalmological examination may reveal narrowing or even closure of the anterior chamber angle. During the period when intraocular pressure rises sharply, it is even possible visually, with a superficial examination, to determine the general redness of the eye and swelling of the cornea.

As you can see, the course of the disease can be quickly determined by the obvious symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma.

Difficulties in determining open-angle shape

When it comes to the open-angle form of the disease, the symptoms are quite hidden. And this is a serious problem. The patient may not even suspect the presence of the disease for a long time, and in the meantime glaucoma will actively develop. For example, the pressure inside the eye increases very slightly and reaches peak values ​​slowly. And obvious symptoms appear only at the final stage, terminal, when the disease is already extremely difficult to cope with. The issue of early diagnosis of glaucoma, regardless of its type, in order to prevent the development of complications and vision loss is acute.

How to detect glaucoma at an early stage

Unfortunately, glaucoma is a rather insidious disease. The disease develops, but the person does not even suspect about it, does not notice any special signs, and therefore does not consult a doctor and does not take any measures. Then, when glaucoma has already reached a serious stage, it becomes extremely difficult to treat. Of course, severe complications and negative consequences, including complete blindness, can also develop.

Knowing all the signs of early glaucoma is of great importance. If a person is able to diagnose the disease in time, identify it by erased, barely noticeable symptoms, he will be able to quickly begin complex treatment and prevent complications, eliminate the threat of relapse.

You should contact doctors, specialists in clinics and hospitals as soon as you notice the slightest alarm signals that your body is giving you: pain in the head and eyes, discomfort in the area of ​​the brow ridges, fog before the eyes, blurred contours of objects. The most obvious symptom is rainbow circles near light sources. They indicate a sharp increase in intraocular pressure.

Note! Only a specialist, an ophthalmologist with relevant experience, who knows the necessary methods for identifying the disease, and uses the appropriate equipment, can accurately diagnose the disease. Self-medication if you have already decided that you have glaucoma is strictly prohibited! Never use medications to lower intraocular pressure on your own without consulting a doctor. Such self-medication can lead to unpredictable negative consequences.

Remember that age is a serious risk factor. It is age-related changes that often provoke the development of glaucoma. This is the key recommendation of doctors: they advise going to a clinic for diagnostics for preventive purposes, even if a person is not bothered by any symptoms at all. This will just prevent the development of the disease.

Video - Glaucoma: how to prevent

Common symptoms: it's time to see an ophthalmologist

Signs of glaucoma can be of three types. Experts include symptoms characteristic of many diseases in the first group. They cannot be called characteristic specifically for the clinical picture of glaucoma, but you should pay attention to them and, just in case, go to an ophthalmologist for a consultation. This is the flickering of so-called “flies” before the eyes, which can interfere with looking at objects. In addition, the eyes begin to tire quickly, in particular during reading. Even small loads cause severe fatigue of the optic nerve.

It cannot be said that these signs are characteristic of glaucoma. But they are the ones that appear first and foremost in the early stages, indicating only one thing: your eyes are already in danger. It's time to take action, contact a specialist, and undergo an appropriate examination.

Characteristic clinical picture of glaucoma in the early stages

This group includes symptoms that appear most often during the development of eye glaucoma in the early stages. Using them, you will be able to determine primary glaucoma with a high degree of probability. Be sure to remember the signs.

Rainbow circles

The most obvious symptom of glaucoma. Occurs when looking at a light source. The rainbow circle is especially visible when looking at a bright light source. A person sees a darker space around him, bounded by a rainbow, bright, multi-colored circle. Most often, it has a purple tint closer to the light source, and at the farthest point from it it has a reddish color. In between, some people can clearly distinguish almost all shades of the rainbow spectrum.

Rainbow circles are one of the signs of glaucoma

Experts cite statistics according to which a similar symptom is detected in 75 percent of cases when glaucoma develops at an early stage. The symptom occurs due to increased intraocular pressure due to corneal edema.

Note! Rainbow circles can also appear when the lens changes due to the development of conjunctivitis. To help you recognize the symptoms, remember the following information. We'll look at a table that shows the differences for each disease when it comes to the appearance of rainbow circles.

Advice! Even the presence of an obvious symptom of glaucoma does not mean that you have already accurately diagnosed the disease. It is necessary to immediately contact an ophthalmologist and undergo an appropriate examination.

Fog before my eyes

Vision may become blurred from time to time. At such a moment, the patient has difficulty distinguishing surrounding objects, since they all seem to be behind a slight haze or even dense fog. It is difficult to determine the boundaries and shades of objects.

This condition occurs due to increased intraocular pressure. The cornea swells, which provokes this “blurred vision effect.” The unpleasant condition can last from several minutes or even hours.

Headaches, discomfort in the eyes

Head pain observed during the development of glaucoma most often resembles ordinary attacks of glaucoma. When glaucoma is present in both eyes, this symptom is often mistaken for a sign of some other disease. In any case, it is better to visit an ophthalmologist.

When glaucoma develops in only one eye, it is a little easier to diagnose. In particular, by the nature of the headache. It occurs in the temporal part, exactly on the side where the eye affected by glaucoma is located. Most often the pain is throbbing and spasmodic in nature.

Key signs of glaucoma

Now we will outline the key symptoms that are characteristic of glaucoma in the early stages. Using them, you can diagnose the disease yourself, then consult a doctor and immediately begin drug therapy on his recommendation.

Tearing

This is the most reliable sign of the early development of glaucoma, when it is still in a latent state. The balance of outflow and inflow of intraocular fluid is disturbed, which provokes an increase in pressure inside the eye. Ultimately, tear secretion increases. The result is lacrimation. If you have identified such a symptom, you should immediately contact an ophthalmologist at the clinic.