If sight cannot be fully restored - Glaucoma

"Early detection and treatment will usually prevent or slow down further damage by glaucoma. If you do experience some sight loss much can be done to help you use your remaining vision as fully as possible. You should ask your optician or optometrist about low vision aids and whether you are eligible to register as sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind). Registration can act as your 'passport' to expert help and sometimes to financial benefits. Only the Ophthalmologist can place someone on a partial sighted or blind register."

Glaucoma Treatment

"The loss of vision in glaucoma is permanent, but with early treatment, the damage to vision can be minimised. In some patients, the loss of vision occurs very slowly and treatment may not be necessary. However, most patients do require treatment. This prevents or slows further loss of vision in most patients. Taking the treatment is important, even though the vision may seem normal, because the loss of vision may get worse without the patient noticing.
All treatment for glaucoma is designed to reduce the level of intraocular pressure to a point at which further damage to the optic nerve is prevented. This reduction in the level of intraocular pressure is achieved by a variety of means including eye drops, tablets, laser treatments for glaucoma and surgery for glaucoma. Each has advantages and disadvantages and the choice of the glaucoma management regime best suited to an individual patient should be made as a collaborative decision involving the patient and the ophthalmologist.
Eye drops usually form the first stage of treatment for glaucoma. There are now a wide variety of eye drops which work in a number of different ways. Most commonly the drops act to reduce the amount of aqueous humour being produced by the ciliary body, some increase the outflow of aqueous humour from the eye either by the conventional outflow pathway through the trabecular meshwork, or by the non-conventional outflow pathway (also known as the uveoscleral outflow pathway), and some have a combination effect.
The only tablet commonly used in the treatment of glaucoma is Diamox, which is a very powerful type of water tablet. It is most commonly used in the short term treatment of acute angle closure glaucoma prior to laser iridotomy and is rarely prescribed for long term use due to its side effect profile.
Lasers are used to treat both open and closed angle glaucomas with different lasers and different techniques used according to need.

There are also a variety of types of Surgey for glaucoma depending on the individual needs of the patient.

Treatment for glaucoma is effective and in the vast majority of cases useful sight can be retained for life providing the treatments are used properly and the agreed management regime followed."

Glaucoma Inheritance

"Glaucoma tends to run in families, but only some glaucoma patients have affected relatives. If you have glaucoma, your close relatives (parents, siblings or children) should have a regular eye test every year which includes ophthalmoscopy, tonometry and perimetry (visual field test), once they reach the age of 40 years, or earlier if they are subject to other risk factors, such as being of African-Caribbean origin, or having diabetes or myopia (short sight).

People with a close blood relative who has glaucoma are at a minimum of four times increased risk of developing the condition which is why early detection is so important as treatment is more effective when the glaucoma is detected early."

Glaucoma

"Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal sight without warning. Although the most common forms primarily affect the middle-aged and the elderly, glaucoma can affect people of all ages.
There are two main types of glaucoma: primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), and angle closure glaucoma. These are marked by an increase of intraocular pressure (IOP), or pressure inside the eye. When optic nerve damage has occurred despite a normal IOP, this is called normal tension glaucoma. Secondary glaucoma refers to any case in which another disease causes or contributes to increased eye pressure, resulting in optic nerve damage and subsequent vision loss."

Glaucoma Awareness Month

"January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, an important time to spread the word about this sight-stealing disease. Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness. Everyone, from infants to seniors is vulnerable. Moreover, among African-American and Hispanic populations, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness.
Nearly 70 million people worldwide, have glaucoma. Experts estimate that half of them don’t know they have it. Combined with our aging population, we can see an epidemic of blindness looming if we don’t raise awareness about the importance of regular eye examinations to preserve vision.
The most common type of glaucoma—primary open angle glaucoma—is hereditary; so if you do have glaucoma, don’t keep it a secret. Let your family members know they are at increased risk."

Drainage implants show efficacy for treating refractory pediatric glaucoma

"Glaucoma drainage devices appear to be a safe treatment option for children who have either primary or secondary glaucomas that do not adequately respond to initial medical or surgical therapy, according to a study by researchers in the Czech Republic.

Rudolf Autrata, MD, and colleagues at Masaryk University Hospital in Brno retrospectively evaluated outcomes for 76 eyes of 76 children who underwent implantation of either a Molteno or Baerveldt glaucoma drainage device over a 14-year period.

Children averaged 6.9 years of age at the time of surgery, ranging from 4 months to 17.5 years. Of the 76 cases, 31 children were treated for primary glaucoma and 45 children were treated for secondary glaucoma.

Investigators found that the mean IOP significantly improved after surgery. At 7.1 years mean follow-up, IOP had decreased to an average of 17.1 mm Hg from 33.6 mm Hg preoperatively (P < .001), according to the study."

Glaucoma could be early warning for Alzheimer's

"A major link between Alzheimer's and glaucoma has been discovered by British scientists that could lead to the eye disease being regarded as an early warning for dementia.

A major link between Alzheimer's and glaucoma has been discovered by British scientists
Glaucoma affects 600,000 people in Britain

Scientists at University College London (UCL) found a 'clear link between what causes Alzheimer's and one of the basic mechanisms behind glaucoma', it is revealed today.

The research could speed up the development of new treatments for Alzheimer's, and revolutionise the treatment of glaucoma, the most common cause of blindness.

If glaucoma is confirmed as a major risk factor for Alzheimer's then the early warning signs it gives could help ensure that patients have more opportunities to delay the onset of dementia using drugs.

The researchers discovered that the same 'plaque' proteins are a key process in the development of both diseases. Clumps - or plaques - of beta-amyloid proteins, which kill brain cells in Alzheimer's patients, also kill optic nerve cells in the eyes of glaucoma sufferers, the study found."