Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the main cause of irreversible blindness in the world.
It is not unknown that glaucoma (acute attack of glaucoma) is a pathology of frequent consultation in the emergency services, because of its sudden onset and because of the acute and intense pain it produces.
The diagnosis must be immediate and accurate, as well as the proper handling, to avoid irreversible sequelae.

Risk factors
The risk factors related to this pathology are:
• Age: At the sixth decade and with the passage of time the lens increases the anteroposterior diameter, so this reduces progressively the dimensions of the anterior chamber facilitating angular closure.
• Female sex: because of their lower size and, consequently, smaller eyeball sizes.
• Family history: involved brothers and fathers.
• Asian ancestry.

Clinical presentation
The classic clinical presentation is a patient who presents suddenly and acutely, diminution of the visual acuity generally unilateral (only on one eye), with a vision of haloes of colors around the lights; halos that are characterized by being yellow and orange around the lights.
In addition, very intense pain in the affected eye with irradiation to the head region on the same side, accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal cramps and palpitations.
Symptoms usually develop in the early morning or during shows that take place with low lighting (cinema, television or restaurants), because of the pupil dilatation generated by the low illumination, which replicates the iris on the angle blocking it.

Treatment
The treatment is aimed at sharply reducing intraocular pressure with different drugs.

At Harley Street Hospital, we have the best doctors to diagnose and treat glaucoma. Book a consultation to get a specialist´s opinion.