Glaucoma treatment: using eye drops without becoming dependent

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye condition in which the optic nerve becomes damaged. As a result, a person may slowly start to see less well. Often people do not notice this straight away at first, because glaucoma usually develops gradually. Treatment focuses on lowering the eye pressure, for example with eye drops, laser treatment or surgery.

Precisely because glaucoma often progresses slowly, proper and consistent treatment is important. Vision lost through glaucoma usually does not return. Treatment is therefore mainly intended to limit further damage as much as possible.

Glaucoma in the Netherlands

Glaucoma is common. According to the Oogfonds, approximately 358,000 people in the Netherlands have glaucoma. The risk increases with age. Heredity, elevated eye pressure and severe near- or farsightedness can also play a role.

This makes glaucoma not only a medical problem, but also a practical one. The condition often occurs in people who are getting older, while it is precisely that group that is more likely to have difficulty with daily tasks such as applying eye drops.

Why eye drops are important with glaucoma

With glaucoma, eye drops are often prescribed to lower the eye pressure. This may be necessary to limit further damage to the optic nerve. Not every patient receives the same treatment. The ophthalmologist determines whether eye drops, laser treatment or surgery are needed.

For many people this means that eye drops become part of their daily routine. Sometimes once a day, sometimes more often. That sounds simple, but in practice applying eye drops is difficult for many people.

The practical problem: the drop does have to reach the eye

A glaucoma treatment only works well if the prescribed eye drops are actually used correctly. That is where an important bottleneck lies. Applying eye drops requires several actions at once: tilting the head back, keeping the eye open, positioning the bottle above the eye and squeezing just enough.

For people with reduced vision, shaking hands, rheumatism, stiff fingers or limited hand strength this can be difficult. The drop then lands next to the eye, the bottle touches the eye or several drops come out of the bottle at once.

Research among glaucoma patients shows that difficulty applying eye drops oneself is a clear problem. In a study of eye drop technique in glaucoma patients it was concluded that applying drops oneself is difficult for many patients.

Other research showed that only 28% of the glaucoma patients studied were able to apply the eye drops correctly. In 62% the bottle touched the eye or the skin around the eye, in 49% the drop landed on the eyelid or cheek and in 27% two or more drops came out of the bottle.

From glaucoma treatment to dependence

When applying eye drops does not go well, dependence often arises. The person then needs help from a partner, informal carer or home care. Not because the medical treatment is complicated, but because carrying it out is difficult.

That is exactly the problem with glaucoma. The treatment may be long-term, but the daily action must remain feasible. If someone needs help with eye drops every day, that directly affects their independence.

According to Oculoo, around 1.7 million people in the Netherlands use eye drops daily. Some of this group have difficulty applying drops independently. That makes the topic bigger than glaucoma alone. People with dry eyes, after cataract surgery or with other eye complaints can run into the same problem.

Why older people in particular struggle with eye drops

Glaucoma is more common at a later age. In older people especially, several practical limitations can play a role at the same time. Think of poorer vision, less hand strength, shaking hands, stiffer joints or uncertainty when aiming.

Applying eye drops requires fine motor skills. The user has to hold the bottle precisely above the eye and squeeze in a controlled way at the same time. That is not straightforward if someone has less strength or stability.

That is why, with glaucoma, it is important to look not only at the medication itself, but also at the question: can someone continue to use the eye drops independently?

Practical support with glaucoma: the role of the Oculoo eye drop glasses

The treatment of glaucoma does not stop with prescribing eye drops. In practice, the user must also be able to apply the drops properly every day. That is precisely where the problem arises for many people. The drop lands next to the eye, the bottle touches the eye or squeezing in a controlled way does not work.

The Oculoo eye drop glasses were developed to support people with this daily task. The glasses help position the eye drop bottle steadily above the eye, so the user has to aim less themselves. This can make applying eye drops clearer and easier to carry out, especially for people with reduced vision, shaking hands, rheumatism or reduced hand strength.

Within glaucoma treatment, the Oculoo eye drop glasses are not a replacement for medication or medical advice. On the contrary, the glasses support the use of the prescribed eye drops. In this way Oculoo addresses a practical problem that is often underestimated: people need their eye drops, but must also be able to keep using them independently.

For glaucoma patients this can help reduce dependence on a partner, informal carer or home care. Not because the treatment changes, but because applying drops daily becomes easier.

Using eye drops without becoming dependent

Applying eye drops independently is important for people who use eye drops every day. It gives control, privacy and freedom. Nobody wants to become dependent on help for an action that actually only takes a few seconds.

Yet in practice that often happens. Certainly when someone is afraid of touching the eye, is unsure whether the drop lands properly or physically struggles with squeezing. An aid such as eye drop glasses can then make the difference between needing help and continuing to apply drops independently.

For glaucoma patients this is extra relevant. Glaucoma is often a long-term condition. Anyone who has to use eye drops for years benefits from a solution that is not only medically sound, but also practically sustainable.

Research conclusion

Glaucoma treatment often revolves around lowering the eye pressure. Eye drops play an important role in this. But prescribing eye drops is only one part of the treatment. The user must also be able to apply the drops properly every day.

Research shows that many glaucoma patients have difficulty applying eye drops. Problems such as missing the eye, touching the eye with the bottle and applying several drops occur regularly.

More attention is therefore needed for the practical side of glaucoma treatment. Not only the question “which eye drops are needed?” is important, but also: “can someone continue to use these eye drops independently?”

The Oculoo eye drop glasses offer practical support for this. The glasses do not treat glaucoma, but help with applying prescribed eye drops independently. In this way Oculoo can contribute to greater independence for people who have to apply drops every day.

Practical recommendation

Do you use eye drops for glaucoma and notice that applying them is becoming difficult? Discuss this with your ophthalmologist, pharmacist or nurse. They can assess whether your way of applying drops is going well and whether extra support is advisable.

Watch out for these signs in particular:

• the drop regularly lands next to the eye;
• the bottle touches the eye or the lashes;
• you often squeeze too hard or not hard enough;
• you are unsure whether the drop reaches the eye;
• you need help from someone else;
• you put off applying drops because you dread it.

If one or more of these points sound familiar, an aid such as the Oculoo eye drop glasses can help you keep applying drops more independently.