What Procedures Can Done If You Have Glaucoma?

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Being diagnosed with glaucoma may be a surprise, but you might have had blurry vision and pain for some time. If you are told by your optometrist that your glaucoma tests have come back positive, they may suggest the following procedures to decrease the fluid and lower pressure inside your eye that has resulted in this condition.  

Cycloablation

The first procedure that might work for you is referred to as cycloablation. This procedure involves destroying part of the part of the body that is thought to produce the excess fluid, inside your eye that is causing the visual problems. In normal vision, the fluid, aqueous humor, is released by the so-called ciliary body. The ciliary body does this in order to maintain adequate pressure inside the eye; in glaucoma patients the pressure in the eye is high, so it is assumed that the ciliary body is malfunctioning in some way. Cycloablation is the process of having a laser destroy part of the ciliary body so that less fluid is released. The ciliary muscle inside the ciliary body also enables your eyes to focus on different points and that's why it isn't destroyed completely.

The good thing about this procedure is that you are unlikely to feel pain. However, even after the cycloablation is done, you might be asked to use prescription eyedrops to keep your eyes properly lubricated and keep pressure down.

Stent

A stent is another name for a medical tube, and they can be used for many different purposes in the medical world. For someone with glaucoma, a stent can be inserted into your eye so that fluid drains out of your eye on a regular basis. As a result, the ocular pressure should drop.

For a stent to work, there will be a small incision before placing the stent, which can be very small, in some cases the size of a single eyelash. When the procedure is over, you should start to experience relief without further action. You may feel some pain at the incision site, but after your eye heals, you should not feel the stent at all.

You might not be able to have a stent inserted if you have other health issues, such as insufficient venous closure or thyroid eye disease.

Your optometrist can talk more with you about whether an eye stent or cycloablation is suitable for your eyes and the type of glaucoma you have. With the right treatment, your symptoms may start to go away and your vision can begin to improve. To learn more, contact a company like Mall Vision Center LLC

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12 July 2016

Family Eye Care Guide For Clear Vision

Hi, I'm Deena, and as I neared middle age, I noticed that my eyesight wasn't as good as it used to be. I first started out needing reading glasses to read the small print in magazines, and then a few months later, I had to put them on to see the computer screen clearly. I knew by then that my eyes were getting worse and that I needed to do something quickly. I made an appointment with the optometrist and the doctor gave me an eye exam. Even though my sight wasn't as bad as I had feared, I still needed prescription glasses. I love my new glasses because I can actually see now. I have put together a lot of information about eye problems, eye tests and even various types of eye wear so that others don't wait as long as I did to see the eye doctor.