Glaucoma: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention
Symptoms of glaucoma
First of all, the main symptoms of glaucoma will depend on the form of the disease. It is about and the is a carotid form of glaucoma. Below we will consider the characteristic features:
Open angle glaucoma is the most frequent disease of the primary type of glaucoma. Characterized by a difficult withdrawal of the eye fluid.
Dystrophic pathologies lead to changes in the scleral canal, which leads to an increase in IOP.But access to the corner of the front eye chamber remains open.
The most affected people are:
- of advanced age;
- people with a genetic predisposition;
- representatives of the Asian and Negroid race;
- cause can serve - endocrine diseases, persistent lowering of blood pressure, nearsightedness.
The course of this form of the disease is chronic, accumulation of fluid occurs gradually, accumulating over the years. The first symptoms of glaucoma by the patient are almost not felt, until a certain time.
Developing, the disease results:
- to the narrowing of the viewing angle;
- to an asteroidal hyalitis - opacity of the vitreous of the eye;
- severe vision disorder accompanied by pain in the eyes and headaches;
- the reflection of the ray from the vascular membrane has a red glow, black strokes are noted on its background;
- marked inflammation;
- changes on the retina of the eye;
- noted spasms of the eye vessels, the formation of microthrombosis due to vascular circulation disorders.
The closed-angle form of the primary glaucoma is marked by the impossibility of outflow of the eye fluid, while the iris-corneal angle in the anterior chamber is either very narrow or completely blocked.
There are frequent increases in IOP, which lasts a long time. The disease proceeds in acute form when the angle of the anterior chamber is completely closed.
Characteristic symptoms of glaucoma of this form appear:
- acute pain in the eye;
- fogging is the result of squeezing nerves;
- hemorrhage in the eye - stagnation of blood provokes the appearance of blue;
- eyeball tight to the touch
- a headache is seen from the affected eye, can give in the heart;
- nausea and vomiting;
- photophobia and corneal edema;
Seizures are intermittent, between the attacks the angle can be slightly opened. Attacks occur as a result of sharp blood filling and dilating the pupil, causing the formation of adhesions. Manifestations of such symptoms are an indicator to emergency medical care. Otherwise, complete blindness is possible. This form of the disease is more likely to affect women.
Acute seizures can occur as a result of:
- overwork;
- voltage;
- large amounts of water consumption;
- stay in a dark room and a host of other provoking factors.
Stages of glaucoma
The stage of the disease is determined by the condition of the DZN( optic nerve disc) and visible vision with a certain fixation of the head.
The first, the initial stage - is characterized by the absence of any defects of visibility along the edges of the survey field. Characteristic of the following symptoms:
- manifestations of lacrimation and photophobia;
- marked with opacity of the cornea;
At the second, advanced stage - there is atrophy of nerve fibers( excavation of the disc), due to the fusion of focal defects( cattle), there is a significant limitation of visual vision from the nose:
- there is an increase in the diameter of the cornea;
- as a result of edema turbidity spreads to the entire cornea;
- marked dilated pupil and a sharp decrease in vision.
In the third, far-reaching stage - there is a sharp concentric narrowing of the field of view. It is noted:
- sharp decrease in visual acuity;
- eyeball increased;
- the pigment of the vascular sclera( the protein membrane of the eye) is evidenced is evidence of the development of abnormalities in the sclera.
Fourth, terminal stage - complete loss of vision, it is possible only the presence of light perception. Are marked:
- full or partial displacement of the lens( dislocation or subluxation);
- hemorrhage in the vitreous humor of the eye;
- development of dense fibrous cords - the cause of detachment of the retina;
- development of complete opacity of the lens as a result of complicated cataracts;
- absolute blindness.
Specifically, the effectiveness of treatment depends on the early diagnosis of glaucoma.
Diagnosis of glaucoma
The data of modern diagnostics make it possible to draw up an exact program for the treatment of glaucoma. To determine the full picture of the disease, various diagnostic measures are used:
- Elementotonomy - definition of intracranial pressure;
- tonography - determination of the outflow condition;
- method of perimetry - evaluation of the field of view;
- gonioscopy - examination of the peripheral angle of the anterior chamber;
- scanning laser ophthalmoscopy is the latest technology of objective visualization.
Prevention
It is the conduct of early diagnosis - the basis of preventive measures. Diagnostic indicators provide an opportunity to prevent the further development of glaucoma, and to avoid complete blindness.
Young people must undergo a preventive check to prevent disease. This will allow to identify glaucoma in time and prevent its development.
Treatment of glaucoma
For the treatment of glaucoma, a comprehensive approach is used - medication, surgical treatment, laser correction and combined treatment. Especially with individual selection.
- 1) Ophthalmopotensive therapy - to reduce IOP.
- 2) Drug therapy aimed at eliminating dystrophic processes and improving the vascular circulation of the optic nerves and the inner shell of the eye.
- 3) Surgical intervention and laser correction are applied when other methods do not bring the desired results. These methods are aimed at reducing, and normalizing IOP.Restoration of natural outflow or creation of new ways of outflow of intraocular fluid.
Only a timely call to a doctor will help prevent complications and complete blindness.
How does the disease manifest itself?
The development of the disease occurs gradually and unnoticed, it affects people regardless of age. And often, tangible signs are manifested when it is difficult to restore lost vision.
The main symptomatology is:
- 1) Slow field disturbance( loss of peripheral vision), resulting in some fragments from the general picture.
- 2) Lack of adaptation in the dark.
- 3) The inability to focus subjects at close range.
- 4) The presence of colored circles around the light source, the appearance of the veil before the eyes is the result of increased IOP.
- 5) Need for frequent change of glasses.
- 6) Feeling of heaviness, discomfort, tension, insignificant rubbing and a feeling of moisturizing in the eyes.
According to the medical characteristics, glaucoma has a primary and secondary appearance.
The causes of glaucoma
Why develops glaucoma, and what is it? The mechanism of the development of the disease is extremely clear, it is a violation of the circulation of the eye fluid as a result of increased IOP.
But the reasons that cause this process can be very diverse:
- is a hereditary factor.
- congenital eye diseases.
- with congenital or acquired myopathy( myopia), as a result of functional disorders of the muscular and vascular eye system.
- various neoplasms that overlap the circulation of the eye fluid.
- surgery or eye trauma.
- pathology of the endocrine, vascular and nervous systems.
What is it? A medical definition of glaucoma is treated as a term combining a group of eye diseases arising from labile( increased periodically) or stable( constant increase) IOP, which causes a violation of the circulation of clear gel-like fluid filling the eye chambers( front and back).
As a result of the increase in IOP, a process of disturbing the hemodynamics of the vessels of the optic nerve, excavation( the formation of a deepening and punctual foci of hemorrhage in the central artery and the retina), and a change in sensory functions of visual acuity.
Pressure jumps cause ocular ischemic syndrome( impairment of blood flow in the eye vessels), which is the cause of the deterioration in nutrition directly to the eye nerve cells and the retina.
This pathology provokes the process of vision loss - for glaucoma this is expressed by a decrease in the field of vision. In time, stabilized pressure, in the initial stage of the disease, can stop the process. If cell death continues, an increasing decrease in the field of vision occurs.
In the far-reaching stage of the process, the field of view is a kind of "telescope".In the terminal, pathofunctional stage of the disease, which is based on the growing process of changes, visual functions can be irretrievably lost. The causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of glaucoma are of concern to many people. In this article we will consider in detail all these questions.
Classification of the disease
| By species: | , primary glaucoma is a result of impaired circulation of the eye fluid. secondary glaucoma is the result of surgical interventions or inflammatory eye diseases. combined glaucoma is a consequence of the pathological development of the eye and other organs. |
| By age factor: | congenital form( bovine eye or eye dropsy) - the period of manifestation up to three years of age. infantile form - manifested until ten years. is a juvenile form - manifested until thirty five years. adult shape. |
| Depending on the IOP: | is an open and closed-angle form. |
| By IOP level: | with increased or normal IOP |
| According to the indication of the extent of the lesion and the stage of the disease: | is the first - the initial stage; second - developed; the third - far gone; the fourth is the terminal stage of development. |
| On the development of the disease | Stabilized and unstabilized form. |