REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY GLAUCOMA OF OPEN ANGLE UNDER SANATORIAL REGIMEN

. L. Ferrer, I. Fernández, M. Ibañez, A. Rodríguez, F. Varela, D. Santos, B. Lazo, R. Marin, I. Jiménez, J.R. Amaro. Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital, Cuba. Escambray Kurthotel Topes de Collantes, Cuba. Octavio de la Concepción y de la Pedraja Hospital, Cuba.

Primary glaucoma of open angle is a disease that can invalidate man in different stages of his physical labor and intellectual life. Several studies in various countries, placed it among the world three primary causes of visual blindness invalidity. Studies carried out by Health World Organization in 1992 reported it as the second cause of blindness in Latin America and the first in the Caribbean area. It is a kind of multifactorial disease for which does not exist an unique solution. Therefore, this element has to be taken into account at the time of a medical therapeutic. Ocular hemodynamic changes are an important factor which play a fundamental role in the raise and development of a glaucoma process. The nervous system participation is another aspect to be considered in this disease. During the first decades of this century a link between the ocular tone and vegetative nervous system has been established. Beside this, rehabilitation treatment with relaxation techniques under sanatorial regimen had been introduced and thereby various factors had contributed to improve its treatment. 131 patients (251 eyes) with diagnosis of open primary angle glaucoma with ages between 20 to 79 years old, remained during 21 days in Escambray Kurthotel "Topes de Collantes", between January 1995 and October 1996. Visual function and ocular hydrodynamic had been studied in those patients, which were treated with ozone or ozone with magnetic field. Two subgroups had been created: one of then received local medical treatment with Timolol and the other without local treatment. Improvement in the visual functions as well as in ocular hydrodynamic were achieved. Mechanism of action is also reported.