What is closed-angle glaucoma and how to treat the pathology

1 Etiology of the disease

Usually, the disease appears due to the individual anatomy of the drainage eye system of the angular anterior chamber cells. During age-related changes in the dystrophic nature, pathology will proceed in conjunction with hormonal organic changes, accompanied by a metabolic disturbance, which will also affect the level of endocrine and nerve dysregulation. Mostly these factors are determined genetically. Approximately 60% of patients have relatives, although distant, but with the presence of this disease. The risk group includes people with vascular pathologies, hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis, obesity, thyroid problems.

2 Pathogenesis of the disease

The underlying pathogenesis link is represented by the internal block of the eye drainage system, that is, there is an angular blockade of the chamber by the iridescent root. Several block mechanisms are known:

1. In the eye, if there is a relative block of the pupil, the anterior chamber angle will be closed due to the iridescent contour that protrudes from the front. If the pupil is widened, the rainbow bombing will be combined with the formation of a fold near the root.
2. An irradiation fold near the root, which will be formed due to pupillary expansion, closes the filtration angular anterior chamber. This is possible in the case of a narrow angle, a sharp tip of it, and a rear position of the helmet channel.
3. When the vitreous body is displaced from the front due to fluid accumulation in the posterior eye, anterior vitreal or lens block may appear. In this case, the iridescent root will be pinned to the trabeculae by the vitreous body and the lens.

3 Factors contributing to the development of the disease

It is worth talking about the risk factors for the appearance of closed-angle glaucoma:

1. Age group is over 50 years old. In addition to general processes of a dystrophic nature, the crystalline lens begins to thicken, which further presses the iridescent root of the drainage system network, because of which the narrow angle becomes closed.
2. Affiliation to the weaker sex.
3. The disease is most often diagnosed in the ethnic population of Altai, Eastern and Western Siberia.
4. Small front camera.
5. Violation of peripheral and central circulation.
6. Farsightedness.
7. Irregularity of a preventive visit to an ophthalmologist.

4 Symptomatic manifestations of

Closed-angle glaucoma, the symptoms of which can be characterized by a headache and pain syndrome localized in the eye area, manifests itself in the form of visual fogging together with the formation of stasis in the anterior ocular region.

Quite often the disease manifests itself in the form of an acute attack, which will be accompanied by a headache with a pronounced intensity, localized in the occipital region or in the eye area. There is also a feeling of nausea, leading to vomiting, and a general malaise. An acute attack of closed-angle glaucoma always lowers the visual acuity when the intraocular pressure rises to the maximum level.

As noted earlier, in addition to the primary type, there is also secondary glaucoma. Increased intraocular pressure in the latter case will appear in the case of various injuries or diseases that have appeared either in the eye or in the body itself. With this in mind, glaucoma is only a symptom of another disease and a non-self-sustaining disease. In this case, the treatment is focused on eliminating the root cause of the appearance of an angle-closure glaucoma.

Given the peculiarities of the development of this disease, a stabilized and unstabilized form of closed-angle glaucoma is allocated. Possible compensated glaucoma, as there are compensatory features of this disease, it is characterized by negative dynamics. Also decompensated glaucoma is distinguished, characterized by a sharp attack, at which visual functionality is impaired.

5 Medical measures

When an acute attack of pathology is observed, it is necessary to use means that reduce intraocular pressure. For example, an effective mixture of glycerin and water.

It is possible to cope with an attack at an early stage with the help of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. To narrow the pupil and open the channels for outflow, drops are used, the main component of which is pilocarpine. When the attack recedes, the specialist prescribes inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase and drops for the eyes.

In the treatment of applied and surgical techniques, such as laser surgery. Such an intervention will help prevent recurrences of an attack. If laser surgery is ineffective, the doctor prescribes surgery, and if the channels are narrow in both eyes, regardless of which pathology has struck, both eyes will have to be treated.