The function of the eye’s optic nerve is to carry information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma is a serious eye disorder that its late treatment can lead to blindness, mostly in older men. Glaucoma is not noticeable at the early stages, but gradually when it advances, problems will occur in the vision. The effects form glaucoma can be reversed or prevented if proper treatment is advised as early as possible during an eye examination. However, once the symptoms become worse, it is quite hard to restore loss of vision even if the patients are under treatment.

Furthermore, an optometrist or ophthalmologist is well qualified to detect the early warning signs of glaucoma and to recommend treatments before the condition becomes deteriorating. Below two types of glaucoma will be explained along with their symptoms:

Primary open-angle glaucoma: This is one of the most common forms of glaucoma in which the fluid in the eye cannot be adequately drained. As a result, due to the buildup of pressure in the eye, optic nerves will get damaged.

Symptoms: Also famous for “silent thief of sight.”, patients with open-angle glaucoma have no problematic signs at the early stages; however, when the condition becomes worse, blind spots will develop on the side/the peripheral vision. Besides, at the advanced stages, patients will have a tunnel vision.

Although this type of glaucoma is quite rare, it can happen quickly and requires immediate treatment. It occurs when the iris (the colored part of the eye) blocks the drainage canal in the eye which prevents the circulation of the fluid and hence increases the pressure.

The most apparent symptoms of Angle-closure glaucoma are usually followed by an attack. If patients have the following symptoms, they should refer to an ophthalmologist immediately:

• Substantial pain in head or eye. 
• Redness of the eye. 
• blurry vision
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.

Doctors will advise patients to follow the below instruction for early diagnosis of glaucoma:

Having regular eye check-up: When patients are in the early stages of glaucoma, they should fix a continuous eye examination to prevent severe damage. 

Family history: Glaucoma may develop more in people who have an account of this condition in their family.

Exercising: People who exercise frequently will have a lower risk of developing Glaucoma compared to those who don’t. 

The first step for the accurate diagnosis of glaucoma is the review of patient’s medical backgrounds. After that, the doctor may administer one or all of the following tests:

• Measuring the pressure of the eye. 
• Looking at the eye’s drainage angle.
• Examining for any damage in the optic nerve.
• Measuring corneal thickness. 

The primary goal of glaucoma treatment is to decrease eye pressure and to prevent vision loss because the effect of this debilitating condition cannot be reversed. Several treatments are advised for the Glaucoma, including the followings:

• Eyedrops: To lower the accumulated pressure in the eye, eye drops are prescribed as the first choice of treatment. These eye drops will help with the improvement of fluid in the eye.
• Oral medication: If the effect of eye drops in lowering the pressure proved to be ineffective, oral medication such as a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor would be recommended.
• Surgery: Also, various surgical procedures are performed to improve the damaging result from glaucoma.

Laser therapy: The doctor will use a laser beam to open up any blocked channel. 

Trabeculectomy: Using surgical devices, a small part of the conjunctive tissue will be removed.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty: The procedure is being used worldwide, and it is a standard treatment for open-angle glaucoma with a 75% reduction in eye pressure. 

• Patients should arrange for follow up appointments. 
• To prevent any infection, taking antibiotics is essential.
• Eye drops are prescribed to decrease eye pressure further

Foreign patients can take advantage of the state of the art technology in most of the hospitals and eye clinics in Iran. Iranian specialties and surgeons are recognized and valued in the medical community around the world, mostly because they are skilled in their area of expertise and have tremendous experience in diagnosing and performing various surgeries. In addition, the low cost of eye surgery and treatment is exceptionally low compared to advanced hospitals in many countries around the world.