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GLAUCOMA is a primary cause of
vision loss concern in the Caribbean
Who is most likely to have Glaucoma?
- People of African/ Caribbean Descent over age 40
- Everyone over age 60
- People with a Family History of Glaucoma
EARLY DIAGNOSIS FROM REGULAR COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMINATION IS THE BEST WAY TO DELAY VISION LOSS FROM GLAUCOMA
DIAGNOSED WITH GLAUCOMA?
TREATMENTS TO DELAY LOSS OF VISION
Once the Glaucoma Specialist has all the diagnostic results, he can assess how much damage has been caused by the Glaucoma disease, and suggest the best treatment plan to delay further loss of your vision.
You will be prescribed daily eye-drops, to control the build up of eye pressure.
There are several types of glaucoma medication. The ophthalmologist will prescribe the best one to control the symptoms, at the stage of the disease. As the disease progresses these eye drops may need to be changed.
These eye-drops will need to be used everyday, to control the fluid pressure in your eyes. Discuss the cost with the nurse, so that you can replace the eye drops every month.
All Glaucoma Eye Medications are available at VE Medical and Vision Express stores.
If you have difficulty putting in the eyedrops the nurse will show you, or show a family member, so that you put in the correct amount and don’t overuse them.
The nurse will explain how long the bottle of eyedrops will last.
It is always best to buy the next month’s supply before the end of a month, so you don’t miss any days.
IMPORTANT
EYE SURGERY AND TREATMENTS FOR GLAUCOMA
Glaucoma surgery can be discussed with the ophthalmologist, once the eye pressure is stabilized with the eye drop medication.
There are different surgery options possible.
The main purpose of surgery is to open up the meshwork which drains the fluid from the eye, thus reducing the IOP.
This meshwork is called the trabeculectomy meshwork.
A laser can be used to open up the drainage meshwork within your eye, which allows more fluid to drain out, and this reduces the pressure inside the eye.
At VE Medical the latest Iridex Micropulse laser is used for this treatment.
However, it is important to understand that laser therapy is not a cure for glaucoma, and the eye pressure-lowering effect can wear off over time.
The good news is that laser treatments can be repeated.
Stopping the use of the prescribed eye drops is often the main cause of Vision Loss in Glaucoma.
