Even if nothing hurts, it is not a reason of ignoring a visit to an ophthalmologist. The saying "The sooner you identify it, the better the outcome" applies to one of the insidious diseases Glaucoma – neuropathy of the optic nerve that results in atrophy and fiber loss.
60-70 years ago, when people didn’t live as long, diagnoses of glaucoma were not that common. It’s because glaucoma is a cunning disease. The eyes don’t hurt, and loss of vision doesn’t come for a long time. In case you’ve forgotten, glaucoma is neuropathy of the optic nerve that results in atrophy and fiber loss.
We’re born with 1.5 million fibers and gradually lose them, like most everything else. But if a normal person has lost, let’s say, 10% of fibers over 100 years, those with glaucoma lost a lot more. Those with advanced glaucoma have a completely atrophied optic nerve and are blind.
Risk factors include ethnicity. Heredity is also a factor. People that have close relatives with glaucoma are also at-risk. Since it causes an irreversible loss of fibers and vision, the only thing we can do is slow the process. This requires an early diagnosis, though.
The sooner treatment begins the better, whether that’s eyedrops, painless and effective laser treatment, or surgery. Sticking your head in the sand and reasoning that “Well, if you go to the doctor, they’ll find something wrong with you” is dangerous.
In many people that come to us, we find nothing. We ask them to come back in a few years. The proper attitude is to be vigilant. If your optometrist, or better yet ophthalmologist, notices any changes in the optic nerve, you need to undergo a battery of tests. This is the same with increased intraocular pressure or hereditary risk factors.
It’s a process and you need to go with the flow. They take images of the optic nerve, along with visual field tests using laser interferometry. It measures the thickness of the optic nerve and nerve fibers. They check this year-to-year against a normative database.
All of these tests, unfortunately, only measure damage that already exists. Diagnosis proves difficult if there isn’t any yet. A couple of years ago, we had the new Visual Evoked Potential diagnostic system. It was non-invasive and only involved attaching wires similar to a cardiogram.
When light hits the retina, the brain and optic nerve turns this into electrochemical energy. We measure these electrical signals in wave parameters. Previously, however, this was only available in special laboratories, but it is now included in clinical practices. Some ophthalmologists have it.
A person takes 5 minutes to adapt to the darkness and a technician attaches electrodes under the eyelids and back of the head. They then show the patient images that cause certain waves. They summarize it, analyze it, and compare it to the normative database. And it works for more than glaucoma!
(to be continued)
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At Benjamin Eye Institute, we pride ourselves in staying at the forefront of innovative eye care solutions, consistently delivering high-quality services to our patients. One such advanced solution we offer is the Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS), an effective treatment method that has significantly transformed the management of glaucoma.
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Discover the Benefits of the MIGS OMNI Surgical System in Glaucoma Management, as Recommended by Dr. Arthur Benjamin
Dr. Arthur Benjamin's Approach to Endoscopic Cyclophotocoagulation and OMNI Viscocanalostomy
Good news for individuals who have already received a glaucoma diagnosis. You see as long as the retina and the brain are communicating with one another through signals. You lose your sight when the conversation ends. So what, it would seem? Additionally, there is an opportunity to develop medicines based on this process, perhaps with gene therapy. Due to the disease's progression, this will aid in maintaining vision.
There will be no loud statements that ophthalmology has high hopes for marijuana. But we will not deny some effect on intraocular pressure in glaucoma. For more details read on!
According to a statistic, there is a 20% probability that you have glaucoma if you are over 65. Older than 70 – 30%. Older than 85 – 40%
However, there are specific ethnic groupings where the likelihood is higher. African-Americans, Russian Jews, Poles, Lithuanians, and other Eastern Europeans need routine check-ups because they are at a higher risk.
