Lesión ocular y glaucoma: Preguntas y respuestas

Las lesiones oculares pueden provocar varios problemas graves incluido el glaucoma, que usualmente es causado por un trauma contundente en el ojo.

How can an eye injury cause glaucoma?

Each year, more than 2.5 million eye injuries occur in the United States. Eye injuries can lead to several serious problems including glaucoma, which is usually caused by blunt trauma to the eye. The natural drainage (trabecular network) of the eye is located at the base of the iris and goes in circles inside the eye at 360 degrees.

When trauma compresses the eye, shear forces can cause the trabecular meshwork to tear or bleed. The tear and bleeding results in scarring of the trabecular meshwork, reducing its ability to drain fluid. This can cause high eye pressure that can damage the nerve at the back of the eye (glaucoma).

How likely am I to develop glaucoma after an eye injury?

Damage to the internal drainage system of the eye occurs in 75% of blunt eye injuries. The volume of damaged drainage can predict the risk of developing glaucoma. When more than half of the drainage is damaged, the risk is 10. This can arise several years after the initial damage. Therefore, it is very important for someone who has suffered an injury of this magnitude to have regular eye exams for the rest of their life so that if glaucoma develops, it can be detected and treated before it becomes serious. cause significant vision loss.

Can traumatic glaucoma be cured?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for traumatic glaucoma; However, there are many effective treatments. Because there is no cure, prevention and early treatment interventions are extremely important.

How is it treated?

The first-line treatment for traumatic glaucoma is regular placement of eye drops in the eye. In cases where eye pressure is high and cannot be controlled by eye drops, surgery may be necessary to lower the pressure to a safe level. The goal of treatment is to lower the pressure to prevent continued vision deterioration, but there is currently no way to restore vision that has already been lost due to pressure damage.

Protect your eyes to prevent injuries

Although glaucoma resulting from injury can be controlled, prevention is always better than treatment. Wearing proper eye protection (safety glasses, goggles, face shields) can prevent more than 90% of eye injuries. So whenever possible and where there is a risk of injury, protect your eyes; that simple act could save your sight.