1, how exactly to order eye drops is considered correct?
(1) Before using the medicine, pay attention to check the name, concentration and expiration date of the eye drops used, whether there is turbidity or flocculence in the eye drops, and whether there are color changes.
Any eye drops made in suspension form should be shaken before use to make the solution even. Wash your hands before dispensing, take a reclining or sitting position, tilt your head back, open your eyes and look upward, separate your upper and lower eyelids with your index finger and thumb, put the eye drops in the conjunctival sac below the white eye in the outer corner of the eye, lift the upper eyelid slightly to keep the solution in the conjunctival sac as much as possible, and then gently close your eyes for 2-3 minutes.
(2) Close the eye for 3 minutes after ordering the eye drops, so as to increase the contact time between the drops and the eye and increase the efficacy of the medication.
(3) At the same time, use a cotton ball, index finger or cotton swab to press the inner corner of the eye for 3 minutes to avoid the absorption of the medication through the tear dots into the nasal cavity, thus reducing the side effects of the medication.
(4) Do not put different kinds of eye drops at the same time. Tears will excrete the medication within 5 minutes, so at least 5 minutes between doses of one type of eye drops and another type of eye drops, so as not to dilute the first dose and to give full play to the effects of each drug.
(5) If you need to use eye drops and ointment at the same time, you should order eye drops first and then apply them to your eyes.
(6) Eye drops generally contain preservatives, and too frequent dabbing can cause irritation and damage to the surface of the eye. Contact lens wearers should also avoid using eye drops.
(7) Do not place eye drops in high temperature, high humidity or direct sunlight. Some drops need to be stored in black bags away from light to avoid deterioration, some eye drops need to be stored at low temperatures, so after getting a bottle of eye drops should read the instructions in detail to understand the preservation methods and related precautions; after opening the drug in the process of use, if you find that the color changes or cloudy precipitates produced that should be discarded; unopened drops should pay attention to the shelf life before use, do not use expired drugs.
(8) Patients with glaucoma treated with eye drops should ask their doctor when to use them every day, because many drugs for glaucoma can be used at a fixed time to maximize the effect of lowering intraocular pressure. Therefore, before using the medication, we should listen to the doctor’s guidance and make a reasonable number of times and time of medication, once set, we should strictly follow the time to order the medication, so that not less than once and not less than one kind of medication, and never change the time of medication or stop using the medication at will, which is very important for the treatment of glaucoma.
(9) If you have any abnormal symptoms after ordering eye drops, you should tell your doctor in time.
One drop of eye drops at a time is enough, because the amount of eye drops is about 30 microliters, and the volume that can be stored in the conjunctival sac is usually only 7 microliters. Therefore, ordering several drops of eye drops at a time is just a waste of money.
Important Tip.
Medications are the main treatment for glaucoma. Depending on the pressure and optic nerve lesion of each patient, the physician will use different medications and prescribe a different time for medication. Patients must have enough medication at home, discontinuing any kind of medication on their own is not good for their condition.
2. Glaucoma patients should cooperate with their doctors for treatment.
Glaucoma patients should know how to better cooperate with physicians in daily life and link treatment and life together organically.
(1) Treat glaucoma with the right attitude: Many patients know little about glaucoma and wrongly believe that they will definitely go blind if they have glaucoma, which is not true. We have to change our concept and learn to live with glaucoma. This is demonstrated by the fact that in the months or years from the diagnosis of glaucoma, we have to start incorporating and adapting to glaucoma treatment in our lives, and we still have to continue our previous daily life without making a drastic change in our lives. You may be worried about losing your sight, but learn later in life how to make glaucoma self-manageable without being intimidated by excessive worry. Another part of adaptation is getting used to frequent eye reviews as prescribed by your physician, getting used to daily medication, and being psychologically prepared for the possibility of having eye surgery.
(2) Those who are able to do so should take the initiative to participate in glaucoma patient activities organized by the hospital (Glaucoma Patient Club) and learn to communicate with other people. Your worries will be reduced when you talk to someone you trust or to other patients. It may be more helpful to share your feelings and opinions about your chronic disease with others.
Second, don’t let glaucoma limit your daily life; follow up for checkups as ordered by your doctor. In addition, it is important to know your history of other systemic diseases and drug allergies, and it is best to know what medications you are using. You should tell other doctors who see you that you have glaucoma and what medications you are using to treat it, and you should explain the above to your doctor before systemic medications are used so that your doctor can choose the medications to avoid the side effects of some anti-glaucoma medications.
To sum up, glaucoma patients should not be pessimistic and disappointed, but have an optimistic and positive attitude, keep a good mood, and do a lasting struggle with glaucoma with a strong will.
3, glaucoma patients should drink more water or should drink less, and glaucoma type has a certain relationship, we introduce them one by one below.
Glaucoma patients who have not undergone surgery, especially the closed-angle type, ingest a large amount of water in a short period of time can cause an increase in intraocular pressure due to increased atrial aqueous production, which may sometimes cause an acute attack. However, on the other hand, thirst is a physiological signal of the body, indicating that the body is dehydrated and should be replenished in time, otherwise it may cause disorders of water and electrolyte metabolism in the body and bring adverse consequences to the body, especially in the elderly and patients with certain diseases such as high blood viscosity. Severe dehydration may prompt thrombosis and induce cerebrovascular accidents or myocardial infarction. Therefore, patients with glaucoma should live normally without restricting their water intake. However, for patients with glaucoma without surgery, especially those with closed-angle glaucoma, they should avoid ingesting large amounts of water in a short period of time.
For patients with open-angle glaucoma, since its pathogenesis is different from that of closed-angle glaucoma, the mechanism of optic nerve damage may be related to poor blood circulation (high blood viscosity, etc.), therefore, proper water intake is beneficial, together with moderate aerobic exercise, which can promote the body’s metabolism and may improve the condition.
In glaucoma patients with low IOP and shallow anterior chamber due to excessive atrial aqueous flow after surgery, not only is water intake not restricted, but sometimes patients need to be encouraged to drink more water to increase atrial aqueous production and maintain ideal anterior chamber and IOP. For patients who have had glaucoma surgery and whose IOP is well controlled, they can drink water as normal, but they should avoid drinking stimulating beverages such as strong tea, coffee and cocoa, because these beverages tend to produce excitatory effects on the nervous system and affect the stability of the autonomic nervous system, which may raise the IOP.
4, life and work habits of glaucoma patients Glaucoma patients should have a regular life and need to arrange their daily life scientifically.
(1) Work habits: Glaucoma patients should pay attention to the combination of work and rest, to maintain the mutual coordination of mental and physical labor, because overwork can affect the stability of the autonomic nervous system, that is, the sympathetic a parasympathetic nervous system, which may induce glaucoma and elevated intraocular pressure.
In your spare time, you should be more active to promote blood circulation. Daily in the office workers, before and after work to do appropriate walking activities. Also socialize with friends more often, which is better than sitting at home watching TV late at night. Play less tense and exciting games, because mental tension can lead to autonomic dysfunction and affect IOP; at the same time, lack of oxygen can cause damage to blood vessels (2) Requirements for the environment: In daily life, glaucoma patients need to keep their surroundings quiet and comfortable, and the room should have soft tones, sufficient light, good ventilation and appropriate temperature.
(3) Precautions when watching movies and TV: Don’t watch TV and movies for a long time, watch movies and TV, no more than 3 hours at most, and 40-60 minutes. It is best to take a break for a while, leave the screen and massage the eyeballs and do eye exercises, or look into the distance, do not watch movies in a dark environment, watch TV with a weak light illumination. The reason is that in a dark environment the pupil is dilated and the contact area between the lens and the iris increases, which affects the normal circulation of atrial aqueous, making the discharge of atrial aqueous obstructed, leading to an increase in intraocular pressure and aggravation of the condition in patients with closed-angle glaucoma. In addition, glaucoma patients should try to watch less TV and movies with emotional ups and downs, so as not to increase the IOP due to mental tension.
(4) Sleep and bowel habits: Glaucoma patients should have enough rest and sleep time every day and should not be overworked. Lack of sleep or overexertion can be a trigger for acute attacks of closed-angle glaucoma (as mentioned earlier). If you have the habit of insomnia, you should turn on the light at night to avoid acute IOP elevation caused by pupil dilatation in dark environment; the height of the sleeping pillow should be about 15 cm to reduce IOP elevation caused by slow blood return to the head; you should try to avoid lying on your back and adopt a side-lying posture when sleeping, which can effectively prevent IOP elevation caused by venous This can effectively prevent the increase of IOP caused by venous return obstruction. Soaking feet with hot water every night before going to bed can not only dilate the veins, reduce the blood volume of the head and neck, reduce the reflux pressure of the upper scleral vein and prevent the rise of IOP, but also improve the quality of sleep and reduce the fluctuation of IOP.
At the same time, it is important to eat less spicy and stimulating foods, such as chili peppers, raw onions and pepper. Keep the bowels open, try to avoid constipation, because constipation will increase the intra-abdominal pressure, so that the blood return to the head and neck is blocked, resulting in an increase in pressure in the upper scleral vein and an increase in intraocular pressure.
(5) Precautions in daily dressing for glaucoma patients: Glaucoma patients should dress as loosely as possible, preferably without ties or high-collared clothes, and not with too tight a belt, and beautiful ladies should not have too tight a bra. If you must wear it, remember to leave some “space” for your neck. A new study shows that ties or collars that are too tight are likely to cause glaucoma. This is because compression of the self-reliant blood vessels in the neck can lead to obstruction of blood flow back to the head and neck, which can cause an increase in intraocular pressure and consequently glaucoma. On the other hand, wearing sunglasses can also cause the pupil to dilate due to the reduction of light, exacerbating the obstruction of intraocular atrial fluid circulation and further increasing the already high intraocular pressure, leading to deterioration of the condition, so it is not advisable to wear sunglasses or tinted glasses indoors. For patients in the early post-operative phase of glaucoma, the pupil needs to be dilated to prevent post-iris adhesions, so sunglasses can be worn outdoors to reduce the amount of light entering the eye and avoid pupil narrowing and photophobia.
(6) Eye care in daily life: Keep your eyes clean and away from irritation. Ladies should be extra careful with eye cosmetics to prevent allergies.
There are some eye drops for glaucoma that may make the eyes feel itchy, astringent or blurred after application, so avoid rubbing the eyes. If you have had eye surgery, it is best to wear protective eyewear when swimming. Patients who have had anti-glaucoma surgery should not rub their eyes hard after surgery and should avoid colliding with the operated eye. Those with postoperative intraocular pressure below 6 mm Hg should limit their activities appropriately, but do not need complete bed rest unless more serious postoperative complications such as active bleeding from the wound occur. Avoid forceful coughing, nose blowing, constipation, continuous sneezing, excessive stretching or bending and citing heavy objects within 1-2 weeks after surgery to avoid increasing the venous pressure in the head and serious postoperative complications.
5.What is the effect of weather change on glaucoma patients Weather is also an important factor that triggers glaucoma.
Weather changes and seasonal alternations have a great impact on the physiological function of the human eye. Glaucoma occurs mostly in winter and spring, and usually strikes within 24 hours of a strong cold air invasion. If strong cold air strikes and the temperature plummets, there may be large fluctuations in IOP. The reason why cold air induces on-site interviews with glaucoma is because the weather change affects the thermoregulatory center, which can interfere with blood pressure over the autonomic nerves and cause fluctuations in intraocular pressure, which in turn causes the onset of the disease. The onset of closed-angle glaucoma is most often seen at dusk, in the evening, in gloomy weather and in the cold season, because in such weather conditions, people have larger pupils, which can easily cause pupillary block and thus induce an increase in IOP. Therefore, glaucoma patients should pay attention to the weather forecast in the cold season, stay less in the room with insufficient lighting, and keep sufficient light at home; try not to go out when strong cold air comes, and moderately participate in outdoor activities in warm and sunny weather to avoid IOP elevation; prevent and control colds in sudden hot and cold weather, because coughing and sneezing can trigger IOP elevation.
6, tobacco and alcohol and glaucoma.
Many glaucoma patients, especially male patients, generally have a habit of smoking and drinking, most patients smoke 10-20 cigarettes a day, and some even smoke up to 2 packs a day; drinking alcohol is also uncontrolled, drinking every day, meals, and often drunk. Excessive drinking of high concentrations of alcohol may damage the optic nerve, especially in glaucoma patients, and can seriously affect the prognosis. The World Health Organization’s slogan for glaucoma patients is “stop smoking and limit alcohol”, which means that for glaucoma patients, it is important not to smoke, but to drink a small amount of alcohol. The nicotine in cigarettes can cause optic nerve vasospasm and optic nerve ischemia, which can accelerate the damage to the optic nerve in patients with glaucoma.
For patients who have the habit of drinking alcohol, people who are red in the face after drinking (capillary dilation) can drink a small amount of red wine, 50 ml per day is appropriate, because people who are red in the face after drinking alcohol, a small amount of alcohol can make the capillaries in their face expand, and the blood vessels that nourish the optic nerve may also expand, thus increasing the blood supply to the optic nerve and slowing down the glaucomatous optic nerve damage. You can’t drink too much because when you drink too much, especially when you’re drunk, your whole body’s blood vessels are constricted, such as those who are pale after drinking (vasoconstriction), sprinkling the essence makes the blood in the face constrict, which reduces the blood supply to the optic nerve, thus aggravating glaucomatous optic nerve damage. Therefore, it is best not to drink sprinkles or abstain from alcohol for glaucoma patients who have a live interview and a white face after drinking. For patients who have just had anti-glaucoma surgery, it is best not to drink alcohol because the blood vessels dilate after drinking, which can lead to post-surgical wound bleeding.
7.Why should glaucoma be followed up regularly?
Once glaucoma is diagnosed it should be treated aggressively, including medication, laser surgery and conventional surgical treatment. Because glaucoma patients are at high risk for blindness, they need to be followed up regularly throughout their lives. The specific reasons for this are as follows.
(1) Most patients with glaucoma have a slow progression of disease that can last a lifetime, and even if the IOP rises, patients often do not feel it. Without long-term regular follow-up reviews, they may gradually lose useful visual function without realizing it.
(2) Some glaucoma patients may not always be able to control their IOP satisfactorily even after taking treatment measures, or the IOP may be controlled but the optic neuropathy is still progressing quietly, and only regular follow-up reviews can detect this situation and facilitate the doctor to adjust the treatment measures in time.
(3) Glaucoma treatment may have side effects and complications, which can be harmful to glaucoma patients if follow-up examinations are not performed.
(4) Long-term medication for glaucoma will make patients feel inconvenienced and their compliance with treatment will be reduced. Only through regular review can patients understand their IOP, inspecting nerve and visual field conditions, so that they can improve their compliance with treatment and thus accept and cooperate with treatment.
In conclusion, glaucoma is a lifelong chronic eye disease, and the joint efforts of doctors and patients are needed to avoid blindness, and regular follow-up is especially important.