What to Do When Glaucoma Eye Drops Don’t Work to Lower Eye Pressure

The primary goal of early glaucoma treatment is to prevent the disease from progressing and causing vision loss. Eye drops have been the first-line treatment for glaucoma since the 1990s, and prostaglandin is the most common eye drop medication. However, newer eye drop drugs are FDA-approved to lower intraocular pressure for glaucoma treatment. Unfortunately, these eye drops can fail to control glaucoma progression, and you may need advanced techniques or laser surgery to slow the disease.

Our ophthalmologists at Wiles Eye Center in Kansas City offer comprehensive glaucoma treatment customized to your needs. Some patients who respond well to eye drops may not tolerate the medication’s side effects or find them inconvenient, in which case other treatments are a better fit.

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty for Glaucoma Control 

Some ophthalmologists use selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) as a first-line treatment for glaucoma patients because it can provide meaningful improvement without the worry of remembering to use eye drops several times a day. This laser procedure is used for open-angle glaucoma. SLT uses low-level light from laser technology to increase fluid drainage in the natural drainage pathway between the iris and the white covering on the eye’s surface (sclera).

SLT is an attractive option for patients resistant to eye drops because a single laser procedure can effectively lower eye pressure for up to three years or longer. Some patients may still need glaucoma medications, while others enjoy lasting relief without secondary treatment. This glaucoma laser treatment does not damage the drainage canal in the eyes and can be repeated if the initial procedure doesn’t lower eye pressure.

SLT is performed on an outpatient basis, so you can go home to rest afterward. Our eye surgeon will administer special numbing eye drops to the eye’s surface and use a gel contact lens on the eye to focus the laser energy onto the drainage canals. Patients may see flashes of bright light, hear clicks and experience a tingling sensation during the procedure. However, most patients report little to no pain during SLT, which takes around five to 10 minutes.

Determining the Best Glaucoma Treatment Plan for Your Vision 

It’s common for medications such as eye drops to lose effectiveness over time. Some patients need more potent doses or different types of eye drops. Our eye doctors will examine your ocular health and create a treatment plan to manage intraocular pressure and slow glaucoma progression. It often takes a combination approach to see the best results.

If you’re struggling with eye drops for glaucoma management, contact Wiles Eye Center to schedule a comprehensive eye exam and discuss your treatment options. Call our Kansas City, Missouri, office at (816) 455-2020 or our St. Joseph, Missouri office at (816) 279-7015, or fill out our online contact form.

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How Do Cataracts Develop? The Gradual Clouding of Vision

The natural lens of your eye sits behind the iris (pigmented center) and in front of the vitreous fluid that fills the eye. This clear, curved disk works like a camera lens helping to focus light onto the retina for clear, crisp vision. As you age, the proteins inside the eye’s lens break down and clump together, creating a cloudy effect and forming a cataract. Our Kansas City eye doctors can restore clear vision with cataract surgery at Wiles Eye Center.

Cataracts Form Gradually 

It can take years for a cataract to progress and cause vision loss. Our ophthalmologists may diagnose early cataracts during a comprehensive eye exam, but you may not need treatment for quite some time. Some patients choose to have cataract surgery early to stop the clouded lens from progressing and affecting their quality of life.

You may not notice initial symptoms of cataracts until your eyesight changes, such as:

• Double images when you look at an object like a stop sign
• Halos around lights
• Increased light sensitivity, especially at night
• Trouble seeing clearly at night
• Muted colors or a yellowish tint in your vision
• Blurred vision

People with diabetes may have cataracts that progress quicker than others, but this eye disease often takes many years to affect vision and require surgery. Our eye doctors can monitor the maturing cataract and recommend the best time for treatment.

Most People Will Have a Cataract in Later Years 

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), half of Americans will develop a cataract by age 75. A cataract is one of the most common eye diseases. Luckily, cataract surgery is one of the most successful eye procedures. Cataract surgery has a 98 percent success rate, according to the American Foundation for the Blind. People who need cataract surgery are often Medicare patients, and a study of 200,000 Medicare beneficiaries reported that 99.5 percent of cataract patients did not have significant post-surgical complications.

What is Cataract Surgery? 

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery reports that 3 million people have cataract surgery annually. This straightforward eye surgery removes the clouded natural lens and replaces it with an intraocular lens implant (IOL). These IOLs can correct your vision for one or multiple focal points, depending on your vision goals. Wiles Eye Center offers advanced IOLs to free you from prescription glasses and contact lenses and restore a clear field of vision.

Schedule a comprehensive eye exam at Wiles Eye Center in Kansas City, Missouri, at (816) 455-2020 or in St. Joseph, Missouri, by calling (816) 279-7015; or, use our online form to make an appointment.

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