Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a common cause of blindness worldwide. Glaucoma can be caused by increased intraocular pressure, low or high blood pressure and incorrect vascular regulation. This can lead to damage to the optic nerve and its consequences.
If the disease is not treated, visual field defects can occur, leading to blindness.
Glaucoma is a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
Intraocular pressure
The aqueous humour provides nutrients for the cornea and lens. Like a lake, there is a balance between the inflow and outflow of aqueous humour in a healthy eye. As a result, the pressure inside the eye remains constant. In glaucoma, this balance is disturbed. This results in increased intraocular pressure (IOP), which damages the optic nerve. The nerve fibres gradually die off. Glaucoma can occur suddenly (acute) or cause no symptoms for a long time and only manifest itself within years or decades (chronic).
The upper limit of normal intraocular pressure is 21mmHg (however, 15% of all glaucoma patients have a pressure below this value). Four to seven per cent of the population over the age of 40 have an intraocular pressure of >21mmHg, of which around one per cent develop glaucoma every year.
There must be pronounced optic nerve damage (75%) before visual field defects are even detectable!
The greater the optic nerve damage, the lower the target intraocular pressure should be!
Please make an appointment for further clarification. We offer a complete glaucoma screening with comprehensive treatment options.
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