What to Expect When You Are Receiving Glaucoma Treatment
When it comes to glaucoma Boulder residents want to know what to expect when they get started with treatment. There are a number of options your doctor can recommend and many can be combined to help ensure the best results.
Prescription Eye Drops
There are certain prescription eye drops that your doctor might prescribe and understanding how these work can be beneficial for you. Prostaglandins help to lower how much fluid your eye produces to lower the pressure. Alpha-adrenergic agonists increase how much fluid flows from your eyes while reducing eye fluid production to lower pressure. Cholinergic and miotic agents help to reduce pressure by increase how much fluid flows from your eye. Beta blockers reduce pressure via lowering eye fluid production. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are not often used, but they work to lower pressure by reducing eye fluid production.
Filtering Surgery
This is a surgical option for glaucoma that is also referred to as trabeculectomy. This procedure involves opening the sclera, which is also known as the white part of your eye, and taking out the trabecular meshwork. The purpose is to help lower pressure by helping to improve eye fluid drainage.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is starting to become more popular and it is also referred to as laser trabeculoplasty. This is a treatment option for people who are suffering from open-angle glaucoma. The purpose of this procedure is to help reduce the pressure in your eye by increasing overall eye fluid output. This is a simpler procedure than the surgical option and you can have it done right in your doctor's office. The purpose is to open up any channels in the trabecular meshwork that are clogged. A laser is done to accomplish this. Before you notice the full benefits, it can take a few weeks so you have to be patient.
Other Treatment Options
There are times when eye drops are not enough and your doctor will recommend an oral form of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. This is not commonly used due to the potential side effects being more difficult to handle than the eye drop version. In some cases, a procedure known as electrocautery might be recommended. This involves removing some trabecular meshwork tissue using a special device that is referred to as a trabecutome. Another option is the use of drainage tubes to remove excess eye fluid. The tubes are inserted into your eye and are very small.
As you can see, when it comes to glaucoma, Boulder patients have a variety of options when it comes to treatment. When you know what to expect going in, you can better plan for things like side effects and recovery time.