Congenital and acquired glaucoma

According to Jacob Bogatin, congenital and acquired glaucoma can be sorted out. The congenital glaucoma is not so often met and the treatment (a surgical one is possible) can be carried out in hospitals. However, a more spread one is a primary open-angle glaucoma that goes unnoticeably for a man (without experiencing sight reduction, pain, opacity) that leads to the progressing of the disease and doctors have to face a dilemma as the result how to preserve the remaining sight or how to save the eye itself.

J. Bogatin states that acquired glaucoma is divided into: caused by age (primary open-angle, angle-closure); secondary glaucoma caused by eye injury or other diseases like diabetes, post eye surgery consequences such as cataract or inflammation (e.g. uveitis, iridocyclitis). The second by occurrence type of glaucoma is an angle-closed one. It declares itself by sharp attacks (with an apparent pain syndrome, sight reduction). In this case emergency aid is required with the following admission of patient and antiglaucomatous surgery.

Further on occurrence we face secondary glaucoma (more at diabetes, as the consequence of the thrombosis, etc.). The choice of methods of treatment is very individual and may require special prescription eyeglasses.

Glaucoma with normal indicators intraocular pressure stands separately from this list due to complicated diagnosing of the disease. Regarding the existing stereotypes that glaucoma is always accompanied by increased pressure it is difficult to detect it at once. Jacob Bogatin claims that more often the pressure sticks to the top norm margins whereas blood circulation in an optic nerve becomes worse that results in its malfunctioning.

Treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma starts with the prescription and then the use of special drops aimed at the intraocular pressure reduction. A wide range of drops has been developed and nowadays is available at the chemist’s. Among them several groups can be distinguished such as those that reduce the intraocular fluid inflow and the ones that make the outflow better. However, in some cases both of the groups should be used together. The second step to overcome glaucoma is laser surgery in case the intraocular pressure cannot be reduced by means of drugs.

Though not all glaucoma cases can be solved by way of laser surgeries, each case is tried by the ophthalmologist. The next step in glaucoma treatment is the surgery itself but reoperation may be considered necessary. Due to the chronic nature of the disease it is impossible to overcome it completely. Nevertheless, the progressing glaucoma can be suspended and the eye-sight can be preserved as a result of timely diagnosis and systematic treatment.

You should trust surgical methods as it can be the only way out when nothing is left. Surgical procedures are well developed and it can be done quickly and painlessly. You should not postpone the surgery as every minute counts. Glaucoma clinical course depends greatly on your lifestyle. Physical and nervous overload should be better avoided. Maximum weight that you can lift is 10 kilos. You should stick to vegetables, fish, fruits and limit the consumption of sugar and animal fat.

You should give up smoking if you are one as nicotine is harmful to your eyes.

Good sleep is of great importance too. If you are going away for a long time, do not forget to take necessary eye drops with you.

Types of migraine

Definition of migraine

Migraine means repeating attacks of a sharp headache, usually unilateral and a pulsing one which can proceed from 4 till 72 hours. The name comes from «micraine» - the truncated Greek word a hemicrany («half of head») which specifies on unilateralism of pains. Migraine is rather a widespread disease and is not connected with race, a place of residence or climate.

Women suffer from this disease more often than men: in the ratio 4:1. Migraine attacks appear at teenage and youthful age, in the course of time tend to disappear. Men usually stop experiencing pains at the age of 45 and women – at the menopause age. Jacob Bogatin and other physicians allocate two basic types of migraine:

1. The usual migraine also known as a migraine without aura
2. The classical migraine also known as a migraine with aura

In most cases the aura designates the symptoms causing sight disorders. Other symptoms connected with aura are hearing and other feelings decay, confusion, impellent and mental frustration. The aura stage usually lasts from 4 till 60 minutes. Approximately 15% of all patients suffer from a classical migraine.

The migraine reasons

Migraine symptoms are caused by change of blood vessels of a brain, however the reason remains unknown. Approximately 70 % of all patients have family predisposition to migraine. Moreover the occurrence of migraine is promoted by the following factors: a stress, a nervous and physical overstrain, food factors (cheese, chocolate, nuts, fish), alcohol (more often beer and red wine, sparkling wine), the hormonal reasons (menstruation, contraceptives intake), a sleep (a lack or surplus), weather factors (weather change, change of climatic conditions).

Migraine symptoms

As a rule, migraine occurs with a sharp, accruing pulsing pain localised in one half of a skull. Jacob Bogatin differentiates other symptoms of migraine:

* Hypersensibility to light and sounds
* Vomiting
* Nausea
* Drowsiness
* General weakness
* Infringement of motion functions
* Sight infringements (light flashing before eyes, zigzags, spirals and so on). It is the so-called stage of aura prior to the attack of migraine.

According to Bogatin Jacob during the migraine attack light and sounds can be intolerably irritating and movement can hurt. Migraine attacks usually begin suddenly, however in some cases patients can feel weariness, depression or insuperable bent for the sweet.

Jacob Bogatin warns that migraine should be definitely diagnosed and treated. As the sharp headache can be a symptom of other diseases, it is necessary to address to the doctor if the pain does not weaken in 24 hours and is accompanied by a rise in overall temperature or a stiffness occurrence of cervical muscles. Also it is necessary to address for the medical assistance if the headache is accompanied by unusual symptoms.