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The Challenges of Treating Glaucoma Today

Jun 23, 2022 | Optometry

The Challenges of Treating Glaucoma Today

The eyes are vital body parts, but they are also susceptible to disease. One of those diseases is glaucoma, and while it is not as harmful as some other eye disorders, it is still problematic nonetheless. Unfortunately, glaucoma still has some significant challenges when doctors try to treat it today.

Detection

One barrier to treating glaucoma today is that early detection is difficult. There are imaging devices meant to assess the optic nerve structure and determine if there are signs of glaucoma present, but the patient needs to be in the office to do these. Often, patients don’t come in until they start experiencing symptoms, and by that point, it has often progressed to where treatments become more complex.

Options

Another challenge facing many ophthalmologic professionals today is there is an abundance of procedures, and it can be hard to know which one is correct for patients. Different surgeries and laser therapies are becoming available, and it takes some time for professionals to get used to them. Because there are so many procedures and devices available, a single practice will not be able to offer them all, and patients may then choose other means of treating their glaucoma.

Costs

On top of learning these new and advanced techniques, ophthalmology practices also need to invest in different devices and train their staff in them. This training could simplify procedures and standardize the care that patients receive from practice to practice, but there is an investment curve that is daunting for some clinics.

Patient-Related Factors

Despite all the above points, patients can still receive the care they need but then go home and not follow the proper procedures to treat their glaucoma. This habit is an obstacle to many other conditions and is also present in glaucoma treatments. Sometimes patients are not compliant and fail to take their medications as they should. Some factors can influence these behaviors, such as medical comorbidities. Thankfully, some newer technologies are being developed to help patients remember their medications.

These are the challenges of treating glaucoma today, and while it is still quite difficult, there are treatments in place to remedy some symptoms. Before treatment, ophthalmologists still need to properly diagnose symptoms of glaucoma. At Automated Ophthalmics, we can supply your clinic with all the tonopen covers you need to measure eye pressure safely and accurately.