The visit to the ophthalmologist is a specific appointment that parents must make year after year in order to monitor your children's vision and detect possible problems. Glaucoma is one of the conditions that must be respected the most since it is a condition that affects the optic nerve. Glaucoma in children and adolescents, its care and treatment are of great importance to maintain ophthalmological health.
It is important to know that this condition worsens over time and can lead to large vision loss if it is not treated in time. That is why it is very important to know the disease and evaluate it carefully and then establish the best treatment.
What is glaucoma
Glaucoma occurs when the pressure in the eye rises. The normal fluid pressure that is present in the eyes, also called intraocular pressure, rises very slowly. This causes the obstruction of the passage of the so-called aqueous humor, which in normal cases flows into and out of the eye. Whether it is adults or glaucoma in children, the inability of the liquid to flow freely causes it to accumulate and pressure is generated. This leads to an injury to the optic nerve and the increasing loss of vision as the optic nerve is in charge of "transmitting" visual information from the eye to the brain.
Glaucoma is an ophthalmological disease with great consequences if it is not treated in time. That is why it is important to follow a series of glaucoma care and recommendations in children, as the condition can damage vision irreversibly. There are different categories of glaucoma depending on the age of onset and the cause.
El glaucoma in children and adolescents it can be primary congenital and is therefore present at the birth of the child or appears just after birth. When the disease arises later, during childhood or adolescence, it is classified as juvenile glaucoma. Finally, there is secondary glaucoma, which is associated with other eye diseases.
Glaucoma symptoms and treatment
The glaucoma care and treatment in children it is closely related to the type of glaucoma. If it is congenital, it is detected after delivery or during the first months of life. The most common symptoms are photophobia (discomfort to light), exaggerated tearing, and changes in the size of the eye. The size varies according to eye pressure because at this age the eye is elastic. In advanced stages, the eye grows very large and is known as a "bull's eye." Another symptom is that the cornea becomes cloudy due to the appearance of a transparent layer that makes it difficult to see. Also the appearance of progressive myopia.
The care and recommendations for primary glaucoma in children and adolescents It is surgery, that is, an operation inside the eye to open the outlet for the liquid. It is an outpatient operation that requires general anesthesia. In the case of secondary glaucoma, a drop treatment is done first to lower the pressure. If this does not work, surgery is used.
Others of the glaucoma care in children and adolescents it is control for life. Even after surgery, this disease must be supplemented with treatment with drops. And to this add life-long control to ensure that symptoms do not reappear. Extreme eye pressure can lead to irreversible vision loss, which is why continuous monitoring is very important.
El glaucoma in children it is easy to detect when in advanced states. The same does not happen when it is in the initial phase. That is why it is recommended to carry out an annual check-up with the ophthalmologist in order to detect possible vision abnormalities.