Elevated ocular pressure and glaucoma
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a chronic eye condition that is the result of excessively high eye pressure, which damages the optical nerves. Increased eye pressure occurs if the fluid produced in the eye to nourish the cornea and the lens is not able to drain away properly. If the drainage of fluid doesn’t work properly, the pressure in your eye will increase and might damage the optical nerves. That is why it is important to have your eye pressure measured every other year by your eye doctor.
Symptoms of glaucoma
Chronic glaucoma
- The field of vision gradually decreases and you have less sharp vision.
- Blind spots will emerge in your field of vision, often without you even realising it.
Acute glaucoma
- Your eyes become painful, red and dull.
- The pupil is dilated.
- Your vision becomes blurry.
- You get headaches, dizziness and nausea.
Treatment of glaucoma
It is important to have your eye pressure measured regularly by your eye doctor and to have a check-up of your optical nerves, in order to detect glaucoma early. In the event of symptoms of glaucoma, it is important to take quick action since occured damage to the nerve cells cannot be repaired. The emphasis of glaucoma treatment is on lowering the eye pressure. This can be done with a laser treatment, eye drops or, in exceptional cases, an eye operation.
The treatment of glaucoma is aimed at keeping the eye pressure low permanently. Glaucoma is unfortunately incurable and damage that has already been caused cannot be repaired. That is why it is important for glaucoma to be diagnosed early, so that it can be treated appropriately. Regular check-ups are therefore important.
What treatments do we offer?
- SLT laser treatment
According to the European glaucoma guidelines, ‘Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty’ or SLT treatment is the first choice to treat glaucoma. With this laser treatment, short pulses are used to widen your tear drainage system, so that the fluid can be drained away better and your eye pressure decreases. This laser treatment is painless and usually has to be repeated after 3 to 5 years.
- Eye drops
Patients who can’t tolerate lasers or don’t respond well to the laser treatment are treated with eye drops to keep the eye pressure stable. The eye drops are intended to reduce the aqueous humour or improve drainage of fluid. They have to be administered once or twice a day.
- Microstent
With this surgical procedure, carried out under local anaesthesia, a new drainage channel is created in order to reduce the eye pressure. The new drainage channel is made with a tiny tube with the size of an eyelash, known as a microstent.
- Glaucoma operation (trabeculectomy)
In this procedure, carried out under local anaesthesia, a small opening is made in the white part of the eye, so that fluid can drain away. This will reduce eye pressure considerably.
How much does glaucoma treatment cost?
The cost of this treatment varies and depends on the approach selected and the seriousness of the glaucoma. During the consultation, we will explain the costs of your specific treatment. This treatment is covered by medical insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is glaucoma and how does it develop?
Glaucoma is a chronic condition that develops gradually: the optic nerve becomes thinner because the pressure in the eye rises too high. As we age, the balance between the production and drainage of aqueous humour can become disturbed, resulting in increased eye pressure. In our country, an estimated 2% of people over forty have glaucoma. Left untreated, the condition can eventually lead to blindness.
What are the symptoms of glaucoma and how do you recognise it?
In the early stages, glaucoma is completely silent: there is no pain, no red eye and vision appears normal. As a result, the condition goes unnoticed for a long time in 50 to 70% of patients. The only way to detect glaucoma in time is to have your eye pressure checked every two years. Only by combining several examinations can an ophthalmologist make a reliable diagnosis.
When is your eye pressure too high and what are the symptoms of high eye pressure?
Eye pressure is considered elevated from 21 mmHg. The normal range lies between 12 and 21 mmHg. The tricky aspect is that even significantly elevated eye pressure almost always goes unnoticed. You feel no pressure, no pain, nothing — while the condition continues to progress in the meantime. Excessive eye pressure is the most important risk factor for glaucoma. Other factors that increase the risk are older age, glaucoma in the family, strong nearsightedness or farsightedness, high blood pressure and sleep apnoea.
How is glaucoma treated and can glaucoma be cured?
Glaucoma cannot be cured, but its progression can be slowed by lowering the eye pressure. At Oogartsencentrum ZW-Vlaanderen en Kortrijk-West we usually start with a dSLT laser treatment: a contactless laser that stimulates the drainage of aqueous humour. Only 10% of patients need a repeat treatment after 3 to 5 years. If the laser proves insufficient, we switch to eye drops or a micro-stent.
Is glaucoma hereditary and how can you prevent it?
Glaucoma does indeed have a hereditary component. If it runs in your family, we at Oogartsencentrum ZW-Vlaanderen en Kortrijk-West recommend annual check-ups from the age of 40. Early detection makes all the difference, because once optic nerve fibres are damaged, they never recover. The sooner glaucoma is detected, the greater the chance that we can prevent further damage.