How does low blood pressure increase the risk of glaucoma?
Hypo tension (especially at night) has a negative influence on glaucoma, as it causes hypo perfusion of blood to the optic nerve, i.e. less blood reaches the optic nerve, thus increasing the risk of visual field progression. This is especially important in normotensive glaucoma.
What other factors increase the risk of glaucoma?
Other factors that increase the frequency and progression of glaucoma would be:
- High myopia
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune diseases
- Continued use of certain drugs, especially corticosteroids.
Yes, the association of cataracts and glaucoma is very common, although they are not related, both pathologies are usually present in patients over 65 years of age. In this case, combined surgery is usually performed to treat both diseases simultaneously.
What diagnostic techniques are currently available?
Ophthalmology specialists follow a glaucoma diagnostic protocol that includes:
- A complete personal and family medical history
- A complete ophthalmological study
- Intraocular pressure measurement
- A corneal pachymetry (measurement of corneal thickness).
- A visual field
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT), both of the optic nerve and of the macular fibers. In any case, the aim is to diagnose this disease at the earliest possible stage from a functional and structural point of view.
What is the prognosis of the disease?
The moment of diagnosis is essential, hence the importance of early screening, since the prognosis changes radically. All the visual field that has been lost at the time of diagnosis cannot be recovered, so treatment must be started early to prevent further loss of fibers.
On the positive side, it should be noted that a very high percentage of people who are diagnosed and treated early can live their lives without any limitations throughout their lives.