Although there is no cure for glaucoma, most people are able to manage their condition successfully with the use of eye drops, laser treatment, surgery or a combination of all three.
The purpose all glaucoma treatment is to lower the intraocular pressure (IOP) within the eye in order to prevent deterioration of the optic nerves which causes vision loss. Treatment varies from person to person, so please discuss with your ophthalmologist what the best approach is for you.
It is important to note that while treatment can prevent vision loss, it cannot restore sight already lost to glaucoma, which is why early detection is so important.
It is important to be educated, informed and feel involved in your glaucoma treatment, particularly concerning eye drops; the mainstay of glaucoma treatment. Patients who are educated on the importance and goals of their treatment tend to more successfully adhere to their treatment.Clinical A/Prof Andrew White
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 and it often has some side-effects.
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 Treatment
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
- iTrack - Ab-Interno Canaloplasty
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)
In many cases, glaucoma is an inherited (genetic) disease that is passed on within families. First degree relatives (parents, siblings and children) are at greater risk - having an almost 1 in 4 chance of developing glaucoma in their own lifetime, and that risk doubles if the relative has advanced glaucoma.
'Two of my sisters developed glaucoma and like me, one of my daughters has now also developed the beginning of glaucoma. It seems to only affect the girls in the family!'
