Contact Lenses for People Suffering From Glaucoma

Sometimes, not all eye complications should be treated by doing surgical eye procedures. At most times, contact lenses can be the answer to your problems. Especially with the modernized system and technology that is improving year after year, most contact lenses can cure if not all at least a number of eye deficiencies.

So what does really glaucoma mean? Glaucoma refers to a group of eye disorders that is often connected with a harmful increase of interior eye pressure (also known as IOP - intraocular pressure) wherein a person's optic nerve is destroyed and damaged over time. Generally, glaucoma can be credited to an increase in one's eye pressure because of drain blockage. Other causes of glaucoma are also because of the lack of blood supply to the optic nerve fibers, an insufficiency in the nerve fibers or poor nerve structure.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is at most times called "silent thief of sight" for the reason that most types do not usually make a person feel neither any pain nor symptoms until obvious loss of vision happens. It usually progresses until the optic nerve has been permanently injured, with varying degrees of permanent loss of vision.

However, if you experience any blurring of vision, halos around lights, extreme eye pain, nausea and vomiting then you may have "acute-angle closure glaucoma" which can still be treated when prevented immediately.

Types of Glaucoma

1. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) - This is a chronic glaucoma which are Americans commonly have, but unfortunately they are unaware of it. It slowly reduces ones peripheral vision without other indications.
2. Angle-closure glaucoma - Also known as narrow-angle glaucoma. With this type of glaucoma, you may experience vision blurring, halos and nausea.
3. Normal tension glaucoma - Just like POAG, this can cause for a person's eye/s to lose visual clarity due to the damage in ones optic nerve.
4. Pigmentary glaucoma - A unique form of glaucoma. Pigment is deposited in the iris which clogs drainage angle.
5. Congenital glaucoma - Glaucoma inherited which is present from birth. Children have narrow angles or failing in the eyes drainage system.

Diagnosis, Screening and Testing

Diagnosis - A tonometer is used to gauge your intraocular pressure (IOP). Eye drops are placed in your eye to numb them and a tiny probe carefully rests next to the eye's surface.

Screening - Additional techniques are also used for monitoring glaucoma, like optical coherence tomography (OCT), confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (CSLP) and scanning laser polarimetry (SLP). These are helpful for creating baseline images and dimensions to a person's eye's optic nerve as well as its internal structure.

Testing - Gonioscopy is done in order to make sure that the aqueous part can freely drain from the eye. Special lenses are used in order for your eye doctor to determine the structure inside the eye/s which controls aqueous outpouring which therefore affecting intraocular pressure.

The Good News

Corrective contact lenses have been continuously improving over the past 40 years. That is why; almost anyone can wear contact lenses and correct their vision - even people who are suffering from glaucoma.

Contact Lenses for People with Glaucoma

1. Soft contact lenses
   • These contact lenses have become vastly popular because of its comfortable fit. In many situations, soft prescription contact lenses can be worn for an extended length of time. These contact lenses for glaucoma patients have been worn without any consequences and complications experienced.
   • Although these are comfortable and easy to wear contact lenses, it is still proper to seek the advice of your eye care practitioner that specializes in contact lenses or glaucoma first.
2. Rigid contact lenses / hard contact lenses
   • Recent rigid lenses allow oxygen to pass through them in order to reach the eye/s. These are the new versions of the hard contact lenses which are mainly accepted well by contact lens wearers. Bifocal and Multifocal contact lenses are also the ones best recommender for people with eye conditions. If these contact lenses for people with glaucoma are the best choice, then ask your eye doctor for eye tests and examinations.

Is the use of eye drops helpful?

In most cases, topical eye treatments are the ones normally used as a form of medication and treatment in the early stages of glaucoma. Your eye doctor will most probably prescribe certain kinds of eye drops to treat your glaucoma.

In conclusion, wearing contact lenses for glaucoma, people can experience comfort and freedom. The key to wearing contact lenses when you've been diagnosed with glaucoma is to discuss any probable problems or any interactions your glaucoma treatment may possibly have with the lenses with your contact lens professional.

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