Glaucoma
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition that damages the optic nerve. Most commonly, a rise in intraocular pressure leads to gradual damage of the optic nerve and eventually to blindness.
What are the symptoms of glaucoma?
In the early stages, the condition does not cause any symptoms. For this reason, regular examinations by an ophthalmologist are important to ensure early detection.
What causes glaucoma?
Open angle glaucoma is the most frequent form of this condition. If not detected and treated early, an increase in intraocular pressure can lead to glaucoma. There are also numerous types of what is known as secondary glaucoma, such as narrow-angle glaucoma, in which anatomical conditions lead to an obstruction of outflow and thus to an increase in intraocular pressure.
How is glaucoma treated?
Glaucoma is primarily treated with the help of eye drops and this allows the glaucoma to be controlled over a long period of time. We combine one to three different drops at the same time. A maximum of two preparations is usually sufficient.
If it is not possible to lower the pressure sufficiently or if we find that the patient has an adverse reaction to the eye drops, surgical therapy will be necessary. Laser therapy is one of the options available, another is a surgical procedure.