subject: Treating Glaucoma With Eye Drops [print this page] Many people suffer from glaucoma, a disease that damages the eye's optic nerve, which is comprised of over 1 million nerve fibres that connect the brain to the retina. Glaucoma forms due to rising fluid pressure inside the eye. There are four main forms of glaucoma: low or normal tension, angle-closure, congenital and secondary glaucoma.
There is some preventive treatment for glaucoma. Suffers can opt for getting a laser trabeculoplasty procedure, which drains fluid from the eye, undergoing conventional surgery, which creates a new passage for the fluid to flow from, using certain medicines, like pills or eye drops, or their doctor might suggest some combination of all of these options. Sometimes, medicine will cause headaches or other unfortunate side effects, so people should proceed with caution.
One way to treat glaucoma in the near future is by using newly created eye drops. Researchers in Italy have learned that nerve growth factor, which has also been used successfully with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients and can be transformed into easily applicable drops, is a great way to prevent nerve damage of retinal ganglion cells that occurs when eye pressure build up due to glaucoma.
The overall effect is that the important optic nerves will be protected, which will lead to healthier eyes. Additionally, the researchers found that even after a year a half, patients using the new drops displayed good contrast sensitivity and visual acuity as well.
Unfortunately, this treatment is not yet available for widespread use, but hopefully it will be soon.
There are eye drops available for glaucoma users now, though. They are prescribed by a doctor. Eye drops that contain prostaglandins, which relax interior eye muscles, are used frequently and patients only have to apply them once per day.
The relaxation allows for fluid to drain more easily, which results in less eye pressure and discomfort. These drops might sting or burn a patient's eyes and change the eye colour slightly. Sometimes drops with beta-blockers will be prescribed. They act by decreasing the fluid in the eye, but they can reduce heart rate, which isn't good. Additionally, alpha-adrenergic agonists or carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are also used. They decrease the amount of aqueous humour production.
These agonists or inhibitors can be used alone or with prostaglandins. Another option is applying drops made with parasympathomimetics, which increase the actual outflow of aqueous humour from the eye. These are used to slow down IOP for people who have narrow-angle glaucoma by causing constriction of the pupil. There are a few more types of similar drops that glaucoma patients might use, but most will probably be prescribed some combination of drops.
Many people are susceptible to glaucoma, especially the elderly. If you are getting up there in age, or know someone who is, it's important to visit an ophthalmologist yearly. People who get regular eye check-ups can be diagnosed for glaucoma early on. If so, they will probably use these eye drops to help strengthen their eyes. About 4,000,000 million people have glaucoma but they are unaware of it; 120,000 of these people will eventually go blind. Keep informed to avoid this happening to you.
