GLAUCOMA

GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma, "the silent thief of sight” is an eye disease which is one of the leading cause of blindness over 25 years of age. SaiNetra Clinic offers a detailed work up to all glaucoma patients and suspects. The clinic houses an Autoperimeter AP 901 HTS, which assesses the visual field of the patient. The machine also has the capacity to store the reports which are needed to monitor the condition at regular intervals over the years, incase the patient loses his/her previous reports. The Pachymeter SP- 100 calsulates the eyewall thickness and gives accuracy to intraocular pressure measured by the Applanation Tonometer.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucma is a group of eye diseases which affects the optic nerve. It is one of the leading causes of blindness. This 'sneaky thief of sight' , results in gradual loss of vision.

Diagnosis:

It is diagnosed by checking multiple parameters which may or may not show the positive signs at a given time.
Tonometry: Measures the intraocular pressure
Ophthalmoscopy : To examine the inner structures of the eye.
Automated Perimetry : To check the visual field loss present in a patient suspicious of sufferring from glaucoma. Also to analyse his/her progress into the disease.
Pachymetry : To determine the thickness of the cornea which gives accuracy of intraocular pressure measured.
Gonioscopy : To understand the drainage of the intraocular fluid. helps diagnose whether the glaucoma is open angled or closed.

Treatment:

oTreatment aims at reducing the intraocular pressure and prevening further damage to the optic nerves either by Surgery or by eyedrops. The doctor suggests the best suitable treatment which is personalised for each patients depending upon his current status into the disease.
Sometimes LASERS are suggested to prevent Glaucoma attacks.

MY SIGHT IS FINE – WHY TEST FOR GLAUCOMA?

Are you over 40?Is glaucoma is your family?Are you shot sighted?Do you have diabetes?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you definitely should have your eyes tested regularly.
Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) has no symptoms, but slowly and painlessly it destroys sight if it is not detected and treated. The loss of vision cannot be reversed. It mainly affects the middle aged and elderly, although it can develop in younger people. The earlier glaucoma is detected, the more successful the treatment.
Even if you seem to have excellent sight, this doesn’t rule out glaucoma because:

• POAG initially destroys the off-centre vision, leaving the central detailed vision unaffected until a late stage.
• POAG generally starts in one eye first and blank patches in the field of vision may go unnoticed as the less affected eye ‘completes the picture’ for the worse eye.
• POAG does not affect the ability of the eye to focus and may be present even though vision is fine without the need for glasses.

You could lose a considerable amount of sight irretrievably before you are aware of a problem. The only way you can know for certain whether or not you have glaucoma is to arrange to have a sight test which includes all three glaucoma tests. These tests are rapid and painless. They are:

• Ophthalmoscopy : Viewing the optic nerve using an ophthalmoscope (special torch).
• Tonometry : Measuring the pressure within the eye.
• Perimetry : Testing the field of vision.

A combination of all three tests has been shown to increase the likelihood of detecting chronic glaucoma by four times when compared with ophthalmoscopy alone. If your optician / optometrist is not willing or able to perform all three tests, then nd one that is. Treatment for chronic glaucoma is usually with eyedrops. Laser treatment or surgery may be necessary in some cases. The good news is that once it is detected and treated, most people retain good usable vision for a lifetime.
Glaucoma left untreated may lead to tunnel vision and, eventually, to blindness. It is estimated that approximately 2% of people over the age of 40 will have glaucoma. 13% of those on the blind register have glaucoma of some type.
Don’t be a statistic – give yourself peace of mind. Arrange an eye test today!