Glaucoma includes a group of diseases that can lead to the loss of eyesight. This disease is usually connected with an increase in intraocular pressure. Persistent high intraocular pressure causes damage to the visual nerve. Therefore, the examination of the visual nerve is the surest way to detect glaucoma.
The causes, symptoms and treatment of different types of glaucoma vary from each other as for example one person may not feel any discomfort whereas, the other one may complain about a severe eye pain and headache.
For proper diagnosis of glaucoma, as well as the monitoring of its course, the following tests are performed:
• measurement of intraocular pressure
• evaluation of the optic disc
• evaluation of the visual field
• evaluation of the average thickness of nerve fibre round the optic disc (RNFL - retinal nerve fibre layer)
• analysis of ganglion cells
• measurement of filtration angle
The methods of glaucoma treatment are:
• pharmacological treatment
• laser therapy
• surgery
Laser therapy in glaucoma improves the outlet of aqueous liquid from the eye:
• iridoplasty (flattening of iris base)
• iridotomy (creating a hole in the iris)
• trabeculoplasty
This treatment is tailored individually to each patient.
The slit-lamp examination of the front of the eye
The evaluation of the filtration angle with the SOCT
The optic disc nerve in glaucoma
Map determining the occurrence of ganglion cells in the eye spot (SOCT)
Evaluation of the average thickness of nerve fibres (RNFL) in SOCT
