Acute Glaucoma 101

Acute Glaucome (Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma), is a eye disorder in which sudden increased pressure, otherwise known as intraocular pressure, occurs inside the eye. When this happens, the iris, the colored portion of our eye, is pressed against the drainage pathways. Resulting from this, the fluid that at regular times constantly streams out of the eye is block and cannot exit the eye. This increases the pressure inside the eye, causing reduced vision, pain, and irritation, among other things.

There are a couple of causes of this condition. One cause is when the iris is pushed or pulled up against the draining channels (trabecular meshword) of the eye, which forces them to close. The fluid thus becomes trapped. Other reasons include: the swelling of the lens, thus narrowing the drainage pathways; the enlargement of the pupils, either from excitement, exposure to dim light, or flexing of the iris muscles, which blocks the flow of our eyes' fluid; and, the swelling of the lens, which again results in the narrowing of the drainage channels.

Furthermore, since medications can enlarge the pupil, which can potentially block the drainage channels, it is important to be cautious about administering certain drugs. Anti-Depressants, eyedrops, Phenothiazines and various medications for the treatment of allergies are all medications that can the potential to cause acute glaucoma. It's best to consult your primary care physician if you are taking any of these medications about the potential risks. In addition to the various causes, there also exist certain risk factors. These include, among others, people who are 40 years of age or older, those who have longsighted vision, and people of Eskimo or Southeast Asian race.

The symptoms of acute glaucoma can vary. They include sudden severe pain and irritation accompanied by redness the eyes, enlarged pupils, blurred or reduced vision, headaches and nausea and vomiting. In addition, the affected eye may appear hazy or milky. If you experience one of more of these symptoms, you sure visit your doctor immediately to seek treatment.

The treatment of this condition is to quickly reduce the pressure and fluid inside the infected eye and allow the fiuld to reach the drainage pathways. In order to achieve this, your doctor will use either eye drops containing beta-blockers and steroids or administer an acetazolamide injection. Furthermore, your doctor may advise you to lie down on your back in order to help drain the built-up fluid within your eye. Besides these treatments, there exist various preventative actions to make sure that the acute glaucoma will not reoccur. These treatments can include creating two very small and unnoticeable holes, by laser treatment, near the iris to allow the fluid to drain; surgical treatment to create larger holes which will indeed be visible; and lens replacement via surgery.