Glaucoma: Diagnosis and Treatment

Background: In the United States, glaucoma is the second most prevalent cause of official blindness. Open-angle glaucoma is an asymptomatic, progressive optic neuropathy marked by increased optic disc cupping and vision loss. Patients over the age of 40, whites over the age of 65, and those with a family history of glaucoma or a personal history of diabetes or acute myopia are all at high risk for open glaucoma. Although high intraocular pressure is a major and variable risk factor for open glaucoma, it is not a diagnostic factor. Normal intraocular pressure is present in some glaucoma patients (i.e., normal pressure glaucoma), and most patients with high intraocular pressure do not have glaucoma (i.e., suspected glaucoma). Physicians who treat glaucoma patients do not recommend using a conventional measurement of intraocular pressure. Adults with open-angle glaucoma are commonly diagnosed during routine eye exams. Ophthalmologists and ophthalmologists collaborate on the ultimate diagnosis and therapy. The basic foundation for the diagnosis and therapy of glaucoma is the systemic area of visual acuity (perimetry). Beta-blockers are commonly given as eye drops in the form of intravenous or prostaglandin analog drops, and they are frequently the first treatment to lower intraocular pressure. Laser therapy and surgery are often reserved for individuals who have failed to respond to other treatments. Open-angle glaucoma can cause irreparable visual loss if not treated.

Conclusion: Glaucoma is a disease that poses difficulty to many people. Many kinds of glaucoma have core pathogenesis that we don't fully understand.