Principles of drug use in the treatment of glaucoma

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness today. The disease occurs when pressure in the eye increases, compressing and damaging the optic nerve. The worrying thing is that glaucoma often progresses silently, with few symptoms, so many people only discover it when it is too late.

Doctor Bui Thai Dat, Head of General Ophthalmology Department, Hanoi - Dong Nai Eye Hospital, examines a patient's eyes. Photo: Huy Hoang

Specialist Doctor I Bui Thai Dat, Head of the General Ophthalmology Department, Hanoi - Dong Nai Eye Hospital (Tam Hiep Ward, Dong Nai Province), said: The most important thing in treating glaucoma is to keep the pressure in the eye stable. Eye drops to lower eye pressure are the most common and effective treatment method. However, taking medication must follow some principles.

Accordingly, doctors usually prescribe one type of eye drops first to monitor the effectiveness. If one type of eye drops is not effective enough, the doctor will prescribe another type of eye drops, or even 2-3 types in combination. Glaucoma is a chronic disease, and the medicine does not cure it completely, but only helps keep the eyes from getting worse. Patients should never stop taking the medicine on their own when they feel better. Patients need to go back to the doctor to measure eye pressure, check vision, and adjust the medicine if necessary.

Acute glaucoma can cause sudden headaches, blurred vision, halos, nausea, etc., which can be easily mistaken for stroke or high blood pressure. Meanwhile, chronic glaucoma progresses silently, with vision gradually lost without the patient knowing. When detected, it is often too late, and vision is irreversibly damaged.

Therefore, Dr. Dat recommends that people over 40 years old should have their eyes examined every 6 months, especially those who have relatives with glaucoma, severe myopia, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Hanoi - Dong Nai Eye Hospital currently has many modern equipment such as OCT machines, visual field measuring machines, etc. to help diagnose glaucoma early and accurately. In addition to eye drops, the hospital also applies laser and surgical methods for necessary cases.

Glaucoma is dangerous but can be controlled if the patient adheres to treatment and has regular check-ups. Maintaining a regular medication routine is the best way to protect bright, healthy eyes for a long time.

An Yen (written)

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202508/nguyen-tac-dung-thuoc-khi-dieu-tri-benh-glacom-988202e/