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Typical symptoms of glaucoma are headache and pain in the eyes. Sometimes the organ of vision may not hurt at all, which makes it difficult to diagnose the disease.
A patient who suffers from migraine-like pain for a long period of time seeks medical help from a neuropathologist, otolaryngologist, dentist and other doctors in order to find the cause of the constant pain syndrome. In the absence of timely diagnosis of glaucoma, visual acuity can sharply decrease in a person.
Glaucoma and its types
In modern medicine, glaucoma is divided into several groups that differ in their cause, symptoms, rate of flow and therapy.
If the disease is not treated, the optic nerve atrophies in a person and complete blindness occurs.
The people call the disease “green water”, because with a sharp attack, the pupil becomes yellow-green.
The main symptom of a rapidly progressing disease is increased pressure inside the eye, which causes a gradual deterioration in visual acuity.
Glaucoma is divided into several types: congenital (very rare, diagnosed in infants); secondary or symptomatic (occurs due to the inflammatory process, injury to the organ of vision, insulin deficiency, neoplasms and other factors); open-angle (in patients it is diagnosed in 60-80% of cases, with a disease, fluid accumulates in the organ, due to which intraocular pressure rises); angle-closure (excessive accumulation of fluid adversely affects the anterior part of the eyeball).
With angle-closure glaucoma, which occurs quite often, there is a severe headache and discomfort in the eye area. It can be primary (occurs in 20-40% of cases) and secondary. In men, the disease is diagnosed 3 times less often than in women.
Main risk groups
There are several factors that increase the risk of developing glaucoma. The most important is heredity. If brothers, sisters or parents have had a disease, they should be examined by an ophthalmologist at least once a year. It is recommended to visit a specialist after reaching the age of 20-30.
After forty years, biological aging processes are activated, which occasionally cause an increase in pressure in the organ of vision, so regular examinations by a doctor are mandatory. Nearsightedness and farsightedness increase the risk of angle-closure glaucoma.
People diagnosed with atherosclerosis are at risk. In violation of the peripheral and central circulation, irregular preventive examination by an ophthalmologist, the risk of the disease increases by 2-3 times.
Headache due to glaucoma
The main signs of the disease are severe headaches, increased intraocular pressure, atrophy of the optic nerve, narrowing of the visual field. The last three symptoms can only be identified by a doctor. A person may not notice signs of the onset of the disease for several months. In addition to the headache, other symptoms appear:
- pain in or around the eye;
- difficulty seeing objects in the dark;
- cutting pain in the eyes;
- feeling of tension when moving apples;
- the appearance of a “mesh” or dots before the eyes;
- deterioration of vision;
- when looking at a light source, a “rainbow halo” appears.
If one or more symptoms appear, you should consult an ophthalmologist. With timely therapy, a person will be able to save vision.
Features of headache in glaucoma
Headaches are often a concern for people diagnosed with glaucoma. At the age of 5-6, headaches are observed after a long reading or watching a cartoon.
The pain syndrome is localized in one of three places: the bridge of the nose, between the eyebrows and the forehead. At an advanced stage of the disease, it can switch to the back of the head, temples and neck. According to the nature of the sensation, the pain is divided into aching, throbbing and dull.
It appears due to irritation of the ophthalmic nerve and its endings located in the muscle tissues of the eye with a light source. With pathological changes, the muscles are in continuous tension. The eyes are very tired, so there is severe pain. Constant tension is also felt in the muscle tissues of the forehead and temples.
Due to increased pressure in the eyes, a person begins to suffer from a steady aching pain in the orbit. Unpleasant sensations can spread to the entire front of the head. They are aggravated at night and have a paroxysmal character. Often not relieved by pain medication.
When the disease spreads to both eyes, the pain spreads to the parietal, temporal, orbital and frontal zones. The patient’s condition can be aggravated by: prolonged stay in dark rooms; bright light, including sunlight; heavy physical activity; stressful situations; drinking large amounts of water; wrong dosage of eye drops.
Accompanying illnesses
Along with glaucoma, concomitant diseases can be found in a person, for example, myopia, viral and infectious diseases, high blood pressure.
Smoking and drugs have a negative impact on human health. With hypertension, people have a severe headache, which can only be relieved by drugs. In order to check your pressure, you should buy a tonometer.
The main symptom of concussion, tumors, Horton’s syndrome, vegetovascular dystonia, meningitis, stroke, temporal arteritis, encephalitis is a headache. With flu, colds, sinusitis, sinusitis, the head also hurts very often.
Other symptoms of the disease: weakness, dizziness, nausea, body temperature over 38 degrees. There are many causes for a headache, but it should not be left unattended. Self-medication is allowed in the first 1-2 days (a person drinks painkillers), but if the sensations do not go away, you need to seek qualified medical help.
First aid for a headache caused by “green water”
If a patient is diagnosed with glaucoma during an attack, it is necessary first of all to reduce intraocular pressure. This is done by draining excess fluid from the eyeballs (the doctor prescribes special eye drops, the action of which is aimed at reducing symptoms).
Patients are advised to avoid self-medication, as improperly selected medications can aggravate the situation and lead to complete loss of vision. Pain-relieving tablets during a headache will not be effective – they will not be able to relieve other manifestations of glaucoma.
Doctors also do not advise trying to endure the pain syndrome, since during an attack, adhesions form in the tissues of the organ of vision. Prolonged pain can cause irreversible deplorable changes. If the sensations arose abruptly and there is a nebula at a glance, then you should immediately visit an ophthalmologist. These symptoms indicate an acute-angled form, which should be treated quickly and comprehensively.
You can diagnose the disease using several examination methods: tonometry, refraction measurements, gonioscopy, ultrasound diagnostics, ophthalmoscopy. The field of view is also examined (for this, the doctor uses a computer perimeter), the depth of the anterior chamber, the thickness of the lens are determined. Be sure to study the anamnesis.
Preventive measures
Doctors consider glaucoma a very insidious disease, since obvious symptoms appear at 2-3 weeks of illness. When making a diagnosis, one should try to preserve the remaining vision and prevent further progression of the pathology.
It is necessary to engage in the fight against “green water” only under the strict guidance of an ophthalmologist. It is impossible to postpone or interrupt therapy, since eye damage during the disease is irreversible.
Medical treatment will not be enough to achieve a stable positive result.
Patients with glaucoma are not recommended to walk outside in sunny weather without sunglasses. Opticians sell accessories with lenses that have a green tint – they help reduce intraocular pressure. Patients should avoid staying in dark rooms for extended periods of time. Before going to bed, you need to turn on the night light.
To reduce headaches and other symptoms of the disease, you should drink less liquid and minimize the use of caffeinated drinks. For the purpose of prevention, it is recommended to adhere to a balanced diet (contraindications are the use of spicy, salty and smoked foods).
You can not sleep without a pillow, as the low position of the head in relation to the body during sleep can cause fluid to stagnate in the chamber of the eye, resulting in increased pressure and a severe headache.
The air temperature of the room in which the patient is located must be adjusted. Overheating will expand the blood vessels, and hypothermia, on the contrary, will narrow. Such drastic changes should not be allowed.
Prevention is avoiding alcohol and smoking. Due to smoking, hypoxia of the tissues of the optic nerve occurs in a person. The use of a large amount of alcohol provokes a jump in pressure in the organ of vision. Headache with glaucoma can increase if the patient physically loads himself. Tilts of the head down and to the sides are unacceptable.