Have you been diagnosed with glaucoma? The first line of treatment for glaucoma is often prescription eye drops.
However, you may be wondering if there are other long-term solutions available. Keep reading to learn more about whether you will have to take glaucoma eye drops forever.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye conditions that cause damage to the optic nerve, which can result in vision loss. The most common form of glaucoma is open-angle glaucoma, where resistance builds up in the trabecular meshwork of your eye, preventing fluid from draining as it should.
This causes a rise in eye pressure, called intraocular pressure, which can damage the optic nerve and result in vision loss.
How Do Eye Doctors Diagnose Glaucoma?
Glaucoma typically doesn’t show symptoms until significant and irreversible damage has already occurred. The best way to protect yourself from vision loss due to glaucoma is by attending regular eye exams.
Your eye doctor at Colorado Eye Consultants can perform various tests to detect early signs of glaucoma and recommend treatment to preserve your eyesight. Some of these tests may include:
Visual Field Testing
Visual field testing, also called perimetry testing, can be used to assess your peripheral vision. One of the first signs of glaucoma can be peripheral vision loss, but it can often go unnoticed.
The test involves looking inside a device called a perimeter and then clicking a handheld button whenever you see a flash to detect any abnormalities.
OCT
Optical coherence tomography, or OCT, creates 3D maps of the optic nerve using beams of light to monitor the progression of glaucoma. It can also give your eye doctor images of the retinal structure and measure retinal nerve fiber thickness.
How Do Eye Drops Treat Glaucoma?
Depending on how far your glaucoma has progressed, your eye doctor will likely prescribe eye drops to help lower your intraocular pressure. Some work by increasing drainage in the eye, while others help by decreasing the amount of fluid your eye is producing.
While these eye drops can slow and even stop glaucoma progression and preserve your vision, they have some drawbacks. Some patients experience frustrating side effects like red, irritated eyes and tiredness.
They also require you to adhere to a strict application schedule, which can be difficult for some patients to follow. Because there is no cure for glaucoma, you may need to use glaucoma drops for the rest of your life.
However, certain glaucoma treatments can reduce your reliance on them.
Are There Other Treatments for Glaucoma Besides Eye Drops?
Colorado Eye Consultants offers alternative glaucoma treatments, including:
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
If you have been diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma and your condition is either not responsive to eye drops or you want to reduce your dependence on them, your eye doctor may recommend selective laser trabeculoplasty. It is a short, 15-minute procedure that uses targeted laser pulses to activate melanin-containing cells in the trabecular meshwork of the eye.
This improves drainage out of the front of the eye, lowering intraocular pressure. SLT often reduces your need for glaucoma drops, but some patients may still require them even after the procedure.
MIGS
MIGS stands for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, a group of procedures that are simpler and have a quicker recovery time than traditional glaucoma surgeries. Your eye doctor at Colorado Eye Consultants can help recommend the best MIGS to help lower your eye pressure.
Trabeculectomy
If eye drops and treatments like MIGS or SLT are ineffective at lowering your intraocular pressure, you may need a trabeculectomy. The procedure involves your eye surgeon making a small passage from the inside to the outside of your eye.
Creating this channel improves fluid outflow from the eye, lowering intraocular pressure.
Are you interested in learning more about the glaucoma treatment options available to you? Schedule an appointment at Colorado Eye Consultants in Littleton, CO, today!
