Glaucoma Treatment
Glaucoma is progressive damage to the optic nerve, usually associated with raised pressure inside the eye, and it silently destroys side vision before the patient notices anything is wrong.
Speak to a specialist about Glaucoma Treatment in Agartala.
What is Glaucoma Treatment?
Glaucoma is progressive damage to the optic nerve, usually associated with raised pressure inside the eye, and it silently destroys side vision before the patient notices anything is wrong.
Also known as: Kala motia · Raised eye pressure · Optic nerve damage
Glaucoma is called the silent thief of sight for a reason: it takes the periphery first, the brain fills in the gap, and by the time a patient reports a problem, a substantial part of the optic nerve is already gone. Vision lost to glaucoma never comes back — but vision not yet lost can almost always be protected.
Book a consultation
Talk to our specialist about Glaucoma Treatment.
Call 8583948238 or message on WhatsApp- Location
- Colonel Chowmuhani, Agartala
- Serving
- All 8 districts of Tripura
- Cashless
- TPA & insurance
Why glaucoma is so easily missed
- Open-angle glaucoma, the common type, causes no pain and no early symptoms whatsoever
- Side vision narrows so gradually that patients adapt without realising
- Bumping into door frames or missing steps and kerbs may be the first practical clue
- Difficulty adjusting between bright and dim rooms
- Angle-closure attacks are different and dramatic: severe eye pain, headache, vomiting, coloured haloes around lights and rapidly blurring vision — a same-hour emergency
- In babies, a large watery eye with a hazy cornea and light sensitivity suggests congenital glaucoma
Who should be screened
- Everyone over the age of 40, as part of a routine eye examination
- Anyone with a parent, brother or sister who has glaucoma — the risk rises several-fold
- People with diabetes or high blood pressure
- High myopes and high hyperopes, who are prone to different types of glaucoma
- Anyone using steroid tablets, drops, inhalers or skin creams long-term
- Patients with a past eye injury, eye inflammation or previous eye surgery
Treatment options at Wills Eye
Pressure-lowering eye drops
The usual first-line treatment. They work only while used, which is why glaucoma is a lifelong daily commitment rather than a course of medicine.
Laser trabeculoplasty
Laser treatment to improve fluid outflow in open-angle glaucoma, either as an initial treatment or to reduce dependence on drops.
Laser iridotomy
A small laser opening in the iris that prevents or relieves angle-closure. Often done in the fellow eye too, as a preventive measure.
Trabeculectomy and drainage surgery
Creating a new drainage route when pressure remains too high on maximum medical therapy.
Combined cataract and glaucoma surgery
Addressing both in one sitting where a cataract and uncontrolled pressure coexist.
What to expect — step by step
-
1
Intraocular pressure measurement
Applanation tonometry — the reliable method. Pressure varies through the day, so several readings may be needed.
-
2
Optic nerve evaluation and OCT
The nerve head is examined and the nerve fibre layer measured. OCT detects thinning years before it shows on a field test.
-
3
Gonioscopy
Examining the drainage angle to distinguish open-angle from angle-closure glaucoma. The two are treated quite differently.
-
4
Visual field testing
Maps the functional loss and, repeated over time, shows whether the disease is progressing or stable — the measurement that guides every treatment decision.
Why timing matters
The honest framing of glaucoma treatment is this: it does not restore sight and it does not make you see better today. Every drop, laser and operation exists to protect what you still have. That is why patients stop treatment when they feel fine, and why they should not. Consistent daily drops and reviews every three to six months are what keep a diagnosed patient seeing for the rest of their life.
Glaucoma Treatment — frequently asked questions
Can vision lost to glaucoma be restored? +
No. Optic nerve fibres do not regenerate. All treatment is aimed at preventing further loss, which is why early detection matters so much.
My pressure is normal — can I still have glaucoma? +
Yes. Normal-tension glaucoma damages the optic nerve at pressures within the normal range, which is why the nerve and visual fields are examined, not just the pressure.
Do I have to use the drops forever? +
In most cases yes, and at the same time each day. Their effect lasts only as long as they are being used; stopping allows the damage to resume silently.
Is glaucoma hereditary? +
There is a strong familial tendency. If you have glaucoma, your siblings and children should be screened from around the age of 35 to 40.
Does cataract surgery cure glaucoma? +
It can lower pressure somewhat, particularly in angle-closure, but it is not a treatment for glaucoma. Both conditions are managed on their own terms.
More in Glaucoma & Neuro-Ophthalmology
This page is written for general information about glaucoma treatment and is not a substitute for examination and advice from a qualified eye doctor. Treatment recommendations depend on your individual findings.
Related treatments
Conditions and procedures often assessed alongside glaucoma treatment.
Comprehensive Eye Check-up
A comprehensive eye check-up tests vision and examines the whole eye, and it can detect glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other serious conditions years before any symptom appears.
Learn more →
Neuro-Ophthalmology
Neuro-ophthalmology deals with vision problems caused by the optic nerve, the eye-movement nerves and the visual pathways in the brain rather than by the eye itself.
Learn more →
Cataract Surgery
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens that blurs vision, and cataract surgery removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a clear artificial intraocular lens (IOL).
Learn more →