If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with glaucoma you might be feeling overwhelmed and concerned for the future, but remember you’re not alone. Glaucoma Australia is here to help. While there is no cure, glaucoma can be managed.
You will usually have been recommended a course of treatment - eye drops are the most common although laser and surgery are also used.
It is important to follow your treatment plan and attend appointments, as recommended by your doctor. This is because glaucoma is a life-long, often progressive condition, and appropriate treatment can prevent vision loss.
Eye drops are the most common form of treatment for glaucoma. If you’ve been prescribed eye drops it is very important that you continue to use them exactly as prescribed.
Oral medication may be used to treat open-angle glaucoma. This medication is usually used only for a short period because its effectiveness can reduce over time.
Different lasers are used to treat open and closed angle glaucoma. Laser can be applied to the iris or the trabecular meshwork to allow aqueous fluid to flow more effectively within the eye, and drain better by the normal drainage channels within the eye.
- Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
- Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI)
- Cyclodiode Laser Treatment
- Argon Laser
In recent years, a new class of treatment called ‘minimally invasive glaucoma surgery’ or ‘MIGS’ is changing the glaucoma treatment model. These procedures use tiny incisions to place microscopic devices inside the eye to lower the pressure inside the eye.
- iStent Inject
- Hydrus
- XEN Gel Stent
Surgery may sometimes be required if the disease cannot be controlled using medications or laser, or the patient is intolerant of the above strategies. The requirement for surgery becomes more urgent the more aggressive or advanced glaucoma becomes.
- Trabeculectomy
- Glaucoma Drainage Devices (GDD)
Glaucoma Australia provides free education and support to help you every step of the way.
Get support and talk to others who have been through what you’re experiencing by joining our Facebook support group.
I was diagnosed a few years ago, not too long ago, but it´s a few years now. At first it wasn´t a definite diagnosis, just a "possible". I wanted it to be a mistake, to be something else, something fixable....
