If you have recently seen an eye doctor and they have found glaucoma during your testing, you may wonder what treatment options are available. Glaucoma is a disease where the eyes have increased pressure due to an abnormal abundance of fluid backing up over the eye surface. It can destroy the optic nerve, affecting your vision permanently. Since glaucoma cannot be felt, it may have been a surprise to hear you have this disease, making you feel a bit anxious as a result. Here is a list of the types of treatments given for this disease and what you can expect with each.

Medication

When glaucoma is first discovered, usually the first order in treatment is to try medication. Eye drops are prescribed to help lessen the pressure in the eye. Make sure to let your doctor know if you take any other medication, as they can affect drug absorption into the bloodstream. When using eye drops, close your eyes for a full minute after application to help them absorb. You may feel some slight burning after application.

If eye drops do not make the pressure decrease on their own, oral medication is prescribed to take in addition to drops. Oral medications will decrease the amount of fluid production your eyes make, lessening the pressure inside the eye. Side-effects from medications are usually mild.

Surgery

When prescription medications fail to help with the pressure in the eye, surgery is recommended. Selective laser trabeculoplasty is a laser surgery method used where an ophthalmologist places small holes between the iris and cornea to help drain fluid from the eye. It is done as an outpatient procedure, and can be repeated if added cuts are needed in the future. This surgery is done while the medication process continues to make sure the eyes are completely drained of fluid.

Traditional surgery is recommended if laser surgery does not have desired results. In a surgical situation, there are two types that have shown success. In the first, the surgeon makes cuts in the eye to remove some of the fluid-making system to help in reducing pressure.

In the second, the surgeon will place an implant or stent to in the form of a fluid-draining tube into the eye to help redirect the fluid into another part of the eye tissues for reabsorption. This method has favorable results and often the patient will be able to stop medications afterward. To learn more, contact someone like Country Hills Eye Center.