Question
How is glaucoma treated? My cup-to-disc ratio (C/D) has reached 0.8. Does it mean I will go blind if it continues to increase to 1.0?
Answer
Hello! Based on your description, there is a significant nerve fiber layer defect below your optic nerve, accompanied by corresponding field loss, which are typical symptoms of glaucoma progression. For patients with moderate or advanced glaucoma, treatment to control intraocular pressure requires setting strict target pressures. It is recommended that you continue with glaucoma medication treatment, with the initial goal of reducing the baseline intraocular pressure by 30% when not using medication. Considering this situation, appropriate medications such as Timolol may be considered. In terms of measuring intraocular pressure, tonometry is the ideal method, but due to limitations, this type of measurement is not available in many areas. If the hospital can measure both tonometry and non-contact tonometry simultaneously, it can perform both measurements and identify the differences between them. This way, future non-contact tonometry measurements can be relatively calibrated. Reaching a C/D ratio of 1.0 indeed indicates optic nerve atrophy, something that should be avoided. In the United States, glaucoma patients typically need to undergo six field tests to determine the overall situation, and as the condition progresses, there will be greater fluctuations in the field. It is recommended that you undergo a field examination every three months.