Medical Management of Glaucoma
Introduction The primary goal in the treatment of glaucoma is to prevent or retard the loss of visual function caused by damage to the optic nerve. Our therapeutic approaches, however, are currently limited to reducing IOP. This approach of lowering a potentially harmful pressure will apply to patients with documented optic nerve damage and visual field loss as well as those with elevated IOP or other well-described risk factors so that treatment is indicated to prevent the onset of damage. We now have five major randomized glaucoma clinical trials stating that intraocular pressure is important for protecting the susceptible optic nerve in patients with glaucoma. Basic Pharmacology Before going into the details of the drugs used in glaucoma, let us have a look at the basic pharmacologic principles in topical ocular treatment. Bioavailability of topical ocular medications: The penetration of topically applied medication into the eye is proportional to the concentration of the drug that
Dr. Rita Singh