Things To About Glaucoma Treatments

By Tammie Caldwell


Glaucoma can be treated with pills, drops, traditional surgery, laser surgery or a combination of these procedures. The goal of any treatment is to prevent loss of vision. The treatment aims to reduce the pressure in the affected eye called intraocular pressure. Any damage to your vision caused by glaucoma cannot be repaired so it is important to get an early diagnosis and treatment or prevent further damage.

Early diagnosis and treatment can lessen or prevent optic nerve damage and limit any related vision loss. It is important to get your eyes examined regularly and make sure that your doctor measures your intraocular pressure. Taking any medication as prescribed is essential to prevent more complications. You have to discuss things with your doctor to prevent further glaucoma San Antonio damage.

It is crucial to take drugs as prescribed especially if you are controlling the pressure of your eye. Since eye drops are absorbed into the bloodstream, tell your physician about certain medications you are taking. Actually, there are some drugs that can be harmful when mixed with other medications. While almost all eye drops may cause uncomfortable burning or stinging feeling at first the discomfort may only last for only a few seconds.

If eyedrops alone do not bring your eye pressure down to the desired level, your physician may prescribe an oral medication in the form of pills to reduce your eye pressure. This medication may cause side effects including frequent urination, depression and kidney stones. You also need to tell your physician about the medications you are presently taking to prevent harmful interactions.

When medications do not achieve the desired results, and show intolerable side effects, your ophthalmologist may recommend you surgery. Laser surgery has become popular as a transitional step between traditional surgery and drugs though the long term success rates are variable. This method is painless and only takes 10 to 15 minutes and can be performed to an outpatient facility.

You may return home and resume your daily activities after the surgery. Your physician checks the IOP one to two hours after the laser surgery. While it may take weeks to see the effect of the procedure, during this time, you may have continue taking your medication. Your doctor will be the one to judge whether or not you still need any medication.

Complications from laser are minimal. That is why, it has become popular to many medical facilities and for patients. Typically, when medications and laser therapies do not lower your eye pressure, your physician may recommend a conventional operation.

Some patients no longer require glaucoma medications after the surgical procedure for a length of time. A trabeculectormy is often an outpatient procedure. The number of operative visits to the doctor may vary and some activities such as reading, driving, heavy lifting and bending must be limited for 2 to 4 weeks following a surgical procedure.

If you have been detected with this problem, this condition should be properly monitored for any further damage. Depending on how your glaucoma is progressing, you also need a further appointment in the city of San Antonio TX with an ophthalmologist. A lot of specialists will use an unlicensed medication if they think the medication is effective and benefits of treatment outweigh associated risk. If your ophthalmologist considers an unlicensed drug, they should inform you that it is unlicensed and discuss possible risks and benefits with you.




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