GLAUCOMA IN CHILDREN

Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the fluid of the eyes increases and if the disease is left untreated or ignored then the patient can lose the vision of their eyes. Glaucoma that occurs in a baby or young children is referred to as pediatric or congenital glaucoma. It can affect one eye or both and mostly occurs before the 3 years of age in children and caused by the incorrect development of the eye’s drainage system. In children, a doctor may suggest for a surgery. Glaucoma surgery cost is not expensive and can be afforded by anyone.

Two types of glaucoma are more commonly diagnosed in children:

·     Primary congenital glaucoma is caused by an abnormal development of the eye’s drainage system. It occurs in about 1 out of 10,000 births in the U.S.

·       Secondary glaucoma has been noticed by the disorders in the body and it could be genetic.

Symptoms of childhood glaucoma include;

·        Excessive tearing

·        Sensitivity of light

·        Closure of one eye or both of the eyes in the light

·        One eye can be larger than the other one

·        Loss of vision

There might be pain and itching in the eye of a child which is a clear indication of some eye infection. Parents should always keep a track of their child’s health. In case of any doubt, you must consult with a pediatrician.

Procedures for the diagnosis of glaucoma include:

·       Visual acuity test: - A chart with alphabets and images to measure the eye test at different distances.

·       Pupil dilation: - The pupil is wide opened with the use of the eye drops which examine the close up of the eye’s optic nerve and retina.

·      Visual field: - It’s a test to examine the side (peripheral) vision of a child. Loss of a peripheral vision could be a sign of glaucoma.

·       Tonometry: -A general test of an eye to determining the fluid pressure.

Glaucoma in young children can be examined with the hand-held instruments. An eye examination in this situation could be tough to bear for a child.

Mostly the child is examined under the situation of anesthesia and it is very important for the parents to show cooperation for the better and appropriate treatment.

Treatments for childhood glaucoma include;

·       Medication: - Some medications cause the eye to produce less fluid.

·     Conventional Surgery: - The procedure of the conventional surgery is to create a new opening in an eye for the fluid to leave or exit the eye.

Glaucoma surgery cost

Glaucoma surgery cost depends upon the type of the surgery and the area of the country where it could be done is one of the key points for the glaucoma surgery cost. Visit your near ophthalmologist for more information about the Glaucoma surgery cost.