Glaucoma Treatment Options

Glaucoma is a disease that causes elevated intraocular pressure which damages the optic nerve in the eye. The optic nerve is at the back of the eyeball and connects the eye to the brain. The optic nerve sends light signals from the eye to the brain so that you can see.

Your eye produces a clear fluid called aqueous humor to nourish itself and maintain eye pressure. Normally, this fluid flows out of your eye through a tiny drainage system. If this system doesn’t work right, the fluid can’t drain properly, causing pressure to build up. The extra fluid increases the pressure in the eye, causing damage to the optic nerve.

Glaucoma is a chronic progressive disease and requires continuous monitoring. Because glaucoma is painless and causes no vision changes at first, it can go unnoticed until it’s quite advanced. This is why you have your pressure checked at eye exams.

Open angel glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma. Treatment for glaucoma aims at lowering eye pressure, thereby preventing further optic nerve damage and subsequent vision loss. Treatment typically includes eye drops, laser treatment, or surgery to lower eye pressure.

Medications for glaucoma

Initially, eye drops are the treatment for glaucoma. These medications can reduce elevated intraocular pressure either by improving the outflow of the fluid in the eye (aqueous humor) or by reducing the production of this fluid.

Laser therapy

Laser therapy can be used to improve fluid outflow or reduce fluid production, especially when drops are irritating and or do not reduce pressure enough. Cyclophotocoagulation (CPC) is a procedure that uses a laser and targets the middle layer of the eye to reduce fluid production.

Surgery for glaucoma

When medications and laser therapy are not effective in controlling eye pressure, and in more advanced cases, surgical interventions may be considered. When you or a loved one has a vision problems, contact Union Square Eye Care with offices in Union Square and Harlem. Schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified ophthalmologists to receive the best care available. You will always be treated with respect and dignity.

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References

• Balas M, Mathew DJ. Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery: A Review of the Literature. Vision (Basel). 2023 Aug 21;7(3):54. doi: 10.3390/vision7030054. PMID: 37606500; PMCID: PMC10443347.
• https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma
• https://www.americanglaucomasociety.net/patients/patient-education
• Gurnani B, Tripathy K. Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery. [Updated 2023 Aug 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK582156/