Treatment of glaucoma involves trying to reduce the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure) and hence try and prevent further damage to the optic nerve of the eye.
In the first instance this is done by daily administration of drops to the eyes.
There are many types of drops available. Some are used once daily whilst others are used 3 or 4 times a day.
The simplest effective regime will be chosen but may involve more than 1 type of drop.
It can be a trial and error situation to find the correct drop for the patient.
All the drops can produce side effects ranging from mild redness to abrupt allergy.
If drops are not able to control the glaucoma then the next treatment might be laser treatment in the form of laser trabeculoplasty.
If the glaucoma is still not controlled then formal surgery may be required in the form of trabeculectomy.
Both laser treatment and trabeculectomy may help to control the glaucoma and the aim is to try and reduce or stop all the drops after the procedure. However, drops are often still required in addition, afterwards, to further control the glaucoma.