Glaucoma Advanced

Glaucoma Advanced: The Stage When Vision Loss Becomes Noticeable

Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that can lead to permanent vision loss if not detected and treated promptly. One of the stages of glaucoma is advanced glaucoma, which indicates a significant narrowing of the visual field. In this article we will look at the main characteristics of advanced glaucoma and its consequences.

Advanced glaucoma is one of the final stages of primary glaucoma, which develops gradually and without symptoms in the early stages. This condition is characterized by a narrowing of the visual field to 15 degrees or less from the point of fixation in any meridian. Patients suffering from advanced glaucoma may have difficulty with spatial orientation and notice limitations in their ability to see things around them.

One of the main causes of glaucoma is increased intraocular pressure, which puts pressure on the optic nerve and damages it over time. Advanced glaucoma indicates serious damage to the optic nerve, which may be associated with long-term progression of the disease or insufficient treatment in previous stages.

Vision loss in advanced glaucoma is usually noticeable because the narrowing of the visual field limits the ability to see objects around the central point of fixation. Patients may have difficulty reading, driving, recognizing faces, and orienting themselves in space. This can significantly limit their daily life and quality of life.

Treatment of advanced glaucoma is aimed at reducing intraocular pressure and preserving remaining visual function. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to control the pressure and prevent further damage to the optic nerve. However, restoring completely lost vision is usually impossible.

It is important to note that glaucoma is a chronic disease and requires ongoing monitoring and treatment. Early detection and regular visits to your eye doctor can help identify glaucoma in its early stages, when treatment can be most effective.

In conclusion, advanced glaucoma is a serious condition characterized by significant vision loss and narrowing of the visual field. This progressive disease requires regular monitoring and treatment to prevent further loss of visual function. However, restoration of lost vision is usually impossible. Therefore, early detection and timely treatment of glaucoma in the early stages are key to preserving visual function and maintaining the patient's quality of life. If you suspect or have already been diagnosed with glaucoma, it is important to consult with an ophthalmologist and follow their recommendations to effectively manage the disease.

**Advanced glaucoma** - the stage of primary glaucoma is characterized not only by an incomplete rate of decline in visual functions compared to normal values, but also by a significant impairment of all other functions. Symptoms of optic nerve atrophy are detected already in this period of glaucoma. The field of view may be narrowed both downwards and upwards. Visual function is gradually impaired: color perception, visual acuity, visual field indicators. Noteworthy is the significant decrease in contrast sensitivity. There are a large number of complaints about headaches, general condition problems, and decreased performance. Ophthalmoscopic data may reveal hemorrhages and papilledema. The simplest and most informative examination method is to study the visual field using the perimeter, followed by deciphering the functional zones (retina) using the Elmore method. This method makes it possible to identify and characterize in detail the dynamics of visual field impairment in glaucoma. In the future, the study is carried out directly with maximum use of the diagnostic capabilities of the ORTOKAM-2 automatic perimeter with a campimetry determinant (perimetry determination), therefore, the perimetry results are characterized by the boundaries of the functional fields of vision. In glaucoma, as the field of view begins to narrow at a progressive pace, the clinical value of the so-called perimetric index (lag), which reflects its visually observed dynamics, increases. However, this indicator is practically uninformative regarding the early stages of the disease, so this type of study is not included in this section (visual field examination), but is presented separately and is used at the time of diagnosing eye disease. The study of the visual field, carried out in a quantitative assessment (separately in the light and shade and color range), refers to the study of visual function. If these indicators are impaired, then an assessment of visual function is informative. It should be borne in mind that with a pronounced narrowing of the visual field, very low scores for the listed indicators are noted. The sensitivity index is low, usually at least 0.4 in one eye. Contrast sensitivity suffers slightly and the perceived size of color dots decreases. At the most severe stage of the disease, this indicator may be zero. Therefore, one of the most important tasks in the glaucomatous process is early diagnosis of diseases and their timely prevention. In conclusion, we can add one more important note about the maximum proximity of treatment to the diagnosis of its form, stage and severity. Quite often, the diagnosis of glaucoma is delayed and leads to the fact that the doctor is dealing with an advanced stage of the disease. In addition, it is necessary to follow the sequence of drug treatments related to the most accessible and widely used ones.