The Citizen (KZN)

Ask the doctor

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Dear doctor,

I have what seems to be long Covid with difficulty breathing at night and not being able to make it up the stairs as quickly as I used to. What should I do?

Covid may cause longstandi­ng or permanent lung damage. Please visit your doctor urgently and possibly get a referral to a pulmonolog­ist. They will then put you on appropriat­e treatment.

Dear doctor,

What’s the best way to prevent diabetes? My husband consumes a lot of alcohol and argues that this will never cause diabetes.

Inform your husband that alcohol is a very dangerous drug if consumed in large amounts. Ask him to see a therapist.

SMS ‘HEALTH’ to 32212 with your question (cost is R1 per SMS) or e-mail questions to health@citizen.co.za

open or dilate your pupils. He/ she will then check your optic nerve. The doctor may take photograph­s of the nerve to help him track your disease over time. Tonometry is a test performed to check your eye pressure. Visual field test, if necessary, is done to figure out if you have lost vision.

Treatment

Eye drops: These either reduce the formation of fluid in the eye or increase its outflow. Side-effects may include allergies, redness, stinging, blurred vision, and irritated eyes. Some glaucoma drugs may affect your heart and lungs. Be sure to tell your doctor about any other medication­s you are taking.

Laser surgery: This procedure can slightly increase the flow of the fluid from the eye.

It can stop fluid blockage if you have angle-closure glaucoma. Procedures include:

Trabeculop­lasty: Opens the drainage area;

Iridotomy: Makes a tiny hole in the iris to let fluid flow more freely;

Cyclophoto­coagulatio­n: Treats areas of the middle layer of your eye to reduce fluid production;

Microsurge­ry: In a procedure called a trabeculec­tomy, the doctor creates a new channel to drain the fluid and ease eye pressure. Sometimes this form of glaucoma surgery fails and has to be redone. Your doctor might implant a tube to help drain fluid. Surgery can cause temporary or permanent vision loss, as well as bleeding or infection.

Open-angle glaucoma is most often treated with various combinatio­ns of eye drops, laser trabeculop­lasty, and microsurge­ry. Talk to your doctor to find out which treatment is right for you.

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