Over three million people in the United States live with the progressive, vision-robbing effects of glaucoma, a group of related eye diseases that share the same fundamental problem: elevated intraocular pressure or high pressure within the eye.
If you’ve just been diagnosed with glaucoma, you may feel a bit worried and have many questions about what comes next. But first, we want to let you know that your diagnosis isn’t all bad news. In fact, it’s the first critical step toward getting the treatment you need to manage the condition and save your sight.
As a seasoned optometrist specializing in protecting eye health and preserving vision for patients with a wide range of ocular conditions, Dr. Markiel Yakubov and our skilled team offer comprehensive glaucoma treatment solutions at Elite Eye Care in New York City. Here’s what we can do for you.
Basic facts about glaucoma
Most cases of glaucoma occur when an abnormal fluid buildup at the front part of the eye causes increased pressure within the eye itself. As this internal pressure persists unchecked, it eventually begins releasing at the weakest point of the eye or the site at the back of the eye where the optic nerve is connected.
The optic nerve is a bundle of about a million microscopic nerve fibers that transmit visual signals from the eye’s retina to the brain. The relentless release of intraocular pressure slowly degrades and destroys these tiny individual fibers, causing incremental and irreversible optic nerve damage and progressive vision loss.
Open-angle glaucoma accounts for about 95% of all glaucoma diagnoses and can remain hidden and progressing — with no red-flag warning signs or symptoms — for many years. The only way to detect its presence before permanent vision loss occurs is by having regular comprehensive eye examinations.
Your glaucoma treatment plan
Glaucoma may be the leading cause of blindness in the US and worldwide, but it doesn’t have to be this way — timely diagnosis and treatment can halt optic nerve damage and prevent further vision loss.
While there’s no cure for glaucoma, there’s a lot we can do to help you manage the condition. Your treatment plan has three components: reducing pressure, getting regular eye exams, and making lifestyle changes.
Pressure-decreasing measures
For open-angle glaucoma, we aim to lower intraocular pressure and keep it under control. Medicated eye drops
In many cases, prescription eye drops are the first line of defense against glaucoma. These include:
- Beta-blockers
- Prostaglandins
- Alpha-adrenergic agonists
- Rho kinase inhibitors
- Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
- Miotic or cholinergic agents
We can also combine medicated eye drops to attain the desired results with the fewest possible side effects.
Oral medications
If medicated eye drops don’t sufficiently reduce intraocular pressure, taking an oral medication, usually a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, may help. Laser trabeculoplasty
Dr. Yakubov may recommend laser therapy immediately or suggest it if the medication is intolerable or hasn’t adequately slowed glaucoma progression. This noninvasive in-office procedure uses a small laser to improve fluid drainage in the tissue where your iris meets your cornea.
Oral medications
If medicated eye drops don’t sufficiently reduce intraocular pressure, taking an oral medication, usually a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, may help.
Laser trabeculoplasty
Dr. Yakubov may recommend laser therapy immediately or suggest it if the medication is intolerable or hasn’t adequately slowed glaucoma progression. This noninvasive in-office procedure uses a small laser to improve fluid drainage in the tissue where your iris meets your cornea.
Other surgeries
Surgery may be the best solution when conservative approaches don’t work well enough to reduce and control intraocular pressure. Surgical glaucoma treatments include:
- Trabeculectomy (filtering surgery)
- Drainage tube insertion
- Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)
Each of these procedures takes a slightly different approach to achieve the same overriding goal: lowering and controlling vision-destroying eye pressure.
Regular eye examinations
When you have glaucoma, regular eye exams are vital. During these exams, Dr. Yakubov checks your eye pressure to ensure your treatment is working and adjusts your plan when necessary. Routine eye exams are just as important for protecting your vision as the treatment itself.
Lifestyle adjustments
Your comprehensive treatment plan may include targeted lifestyle modifications that support ocular health to give you the best possible shot at successful glaucoma management. Dr. Yakubov may advise you to:
- Control your blood pressure
- Manage your diabetes
- Treat sleep apnea
- Eat a heart-healthy diet
- Get regular aerobic exercise
- Limit your caffeine intake
- Stop smoking cigarettes
Use caution when strength training or doing yoga; lifting heavy weights can increase eye pressure, as can head-down yoga positions. Sleeping with your head slightly elevated can help lower eye pressure.
Preserve your eyesight today
To learn more about AMD management at Elite Eye Care, call or click online to schedule a visit at your nearest New York City location today — we have one office in Brooklyn, and four offices throughout the Bronx.