Glaucoma – Tips for a faster recovery after glaucoma surgery

Glaucoma is a disease that affects the optic nerve in the eye and can lead to complete damage over time, which can cause blindness or complete vision loss within a few years.

Glaucoma mainly occurs as a result of abnormally high pressure inside the eye and this causes erosion of the tissues of the optic nerve, which is responsible for sending images and visual information to the brain. Therefore, glaucoma patients go to the ophthalmologist constantly to check their eyes and measure the pressure inside the eye regularly, to make sure that the matter does not get worse, and through some advice and treatment plans, they can preserve their eyesight.

Sometimes glaucoma occurs without any warning signs, especially in the case of open-angle glaucoma, where the patient suffers from Loss of side or peripheral vision in his central vision of things, and there are some prominent symptoms of narrow-angle glaucoma such as sudden disturbances in vision, blurred vision, severe eye pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Who are the people most at risk of developing glaucoma?

Some factors constitute a warning of glaucoma or glaucoma, such as:

1- age

People over the age of 50 are more likely to develop glaucoma.

2- eye problems

Increased pressure inside the eye can occur as a result of some problems such as an injury to the eye, the presence of infections inside the eye, or a person with a thin cornea.

3- family history

Sometimes glaucoma spreads within the same families, especially if it is of the congenital type, meaning that the person has a congenital defect in the eye at the angle where the iris meets the cornea.

4- Medical history

Some people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease are more likely to develop glaucoma.

5- Side effects of some medications

Corticosteroid medicines such as prednisone are used to treat patients with SLE to suppress immunity and fight infections.

Glaucoma treatment drugs

The main goal behind the treatment of glaucoma is to reduce the pressure inside the eye to prevent any further loss of vision, and this is done with some medications, which are in the form of pills or drops, but the drops are the most common.

Or the doctor resorts to surgery if he wants to create a path for the drainage of fluid inside the eye in the event of blockage of the corners, in which case there is no accumulation of fluid, which leads to a decrease in pressure inside the eye and no damage to the optic nerve.

Types of blue water process

Laser: This type of operation treats open-angle glaucoma and the ophthalmologist makes small incisions in the trabecular meshwork, which contains the channels through which fluid drains, and the recovery period from this process takes a few weeks before the process becomes fully effective. Although the standard treatment plan for most glaucoma patients is to avoid surgical procedures, including simple laser procedures, some recent studies have found that this laser technology can be considered the first intervention for open-angle glaucoma, followed by the use of prescription eye drops. medical.

Filtration surgeries: The eye surgeon here makes an incision in the white of the eye or removes part of the trabecular meshwork to help drain fluid and relieve pressure on the eye. This procedure is used with patients with congenital glaucoma or narrow-angle glaucoma.

When does vision improve after glaucoma surgery?

Recovery after glaucoma surgery depends mainly on the individual’s health and the type of surgery performed, so the time it may take for the individual to recover after glaucoma may range from 3 weeks to 6 weeks.

Tips for glaucoma patients to avoid vision loss:

Some of these tips may help promote eye health and control high pressure inside the eye and the most important of these tips:

1- Eating a healthy diet: Some beneficial nutrients such as zinc, copper, selenium, antioxidant vitamins, and vitamin C, E, and A are beneficial in maintaining healthy eyes.

2- Avoid excessive caffeine intake: Drinks that contain a large proportion of caffeine benefit from an increase in pressure inside the eye.

3- Drink fluids in moderation.

4- Sleeping with the head raised: It has been scientifically proven that sleeping on a pillow that raises the head about 20 degrees can contribute to relieving pressure inside the eye.

5- Continuing to use the medicines and drops prescribed by the doctor regularly.

6- If a person is exposed to stress easily and quickly, and this can lead to a sudden increase in his blood pressure, it is recommended that he stay away from stress by practicing sports and yoga exercises that help in relaxation.

Tips after glaucoma surgery

Tips after glaucoma surgery:

1- Stay away from driving, and even if you have an appointment for a follow-up and examination with an ophthalmologist after the operation, anyone must take you to the doctor and not drive yourself.

2- Make sure to rest or relax during the recovery period and thus avoid making a violent effort or lifting any heavy things, so if the nature of your work requires you to focus strongly on things such as reading, writing, or checking anything, you must stay away from practicing anything related job during the recovery period.

Follow the doctor’s orders and make sure to take drops and medicines and wear bandages regularly to ensure that you reach the stage of full recovery.

4- Make sure to wash your hands with soap and water every time before using eye drops.

5- If you operate in the summer, stay away from the sun’s rays and the damage that can occur as a result of direct exposure to it.

6- Refrain from using swimming pools or any sources that can transmit bacteria to you.

7- If you feel any unusual discharge from your eyes, consult your doctor immediately.

Is glaucoma painful process?

There is no pain in any of the different types of glaucoma operations, and the surgery is usually performed with local anesthetic and relaxation drugs, and a limited type of anesthesia is often used, which is intravenous anesthesia, in addition to giving an injection around or behind the eye to prevent eye movement, and this injection is painless Because the patient is given intravenous sedation first, he feels relaxed, sleepy, and does not feel any pain during the surgery.

The success rate of the glaucoma operation

The success rate of the glaucoma process reaches 90%, especially in elderly cases, because sometimes some holes that are made to drain fluids and reduce pressure inside the eye, as we mentioned earlier, make the body deal with it as if it were an injury or wound and began to secrete substances that work to heal wounds, However, in the elderly, the wound healing process is weak, and therefore the success rate of the operation is greater. But even if the holes are blocked, the operation can be performed inside the same eye again without any fears, damages, or complications.

Can glaucoma be treated with herbs?

In some cases, glaucoma cannot be treated permanently except by surgery, and the specialist doctor determines the necessary procedure. However, some herbs have been proven in some studies to be effective in producing positive effects, especially if the person wants to prevent glaucoma, such as cinnamon because it contains nutrients It promotes blood perfusion.

What is the difference between blue water and white water?

Glaucoma is a condition in which pressure builds up inside the eye as a result of damage to the optic nerve, which processes visual information, and cataracts are a condition that affects the lens of the eye where it causes opacity and makes the amount of light entering the eye inappropriate, making the vision appear blurred.

Therefore, there are differences in how each of them is treated, as cataract surgery is treated through cataract surgery, in which the lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. In the case of glaucoma, laser surgery is performed to make small incisions that leak the accumulated fluid that causes nerve damage. Optical