# Closed angle Glaucoma



## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

I recently had a closed angle glaucoma attack, having suffered from long term headaches and migraines I was not 100% sure it was a pressurisation or not although I strongly suspected it. Even though I had managed an opticians practice for a long time I still was not sure!

So after a visit to my optician which confirmed my worse fears and paying for a private consultant who specializes in Glaucoma I am going in to have an iridotomy tomorrow. If left untreated closed angle Glaucoma will lead to vision loss and blindness.

The symptoms I had were only present for less than 2 hours and could easily be put down as one of those strange things, but because of my medical knowledge I acted on it and have hopefully saved my vision.


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Sorry to hear that and I hope all goes well. My mother lost an eye through glaucoma, and I have regular checks.


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

Hi Jezport

I do hope the treatment is effective and that none of your vision is lost. As motorhomers, or just as drivers, we are so dependent on our vision to continue with out lifestyle.

I was diagnosed with Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy 15 years ago and the only treatment is a corneal graft, which was felt not to be appropriate for me at that time. My vision has gradually deteriorated and I'm borderline being able to drive, so I don't. I was re-referred to a consultant who told me he is prepared for me to now have a graft. I've been for an orb scan so if I go ahead I hope to have improved sight later this year. I've been told it takes about a year for a graft to settle. Then perhaps I'll have the other one done.

Does the glaucoma explain the headaches and migraines you'd been worrying about? Or is that still an additional worry?

Best wishes


Chris


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

ChrisandJohn said:


> Hi Jezport
> 
> Does the glaucoma explain the headaches and migraines you'd been worrying about? Or is that still an additional worry?


It may do but I will have to see. Also I have been on a medication for my slipped disc that I can no-longer take as it can cause my pupils to dilate slightly more than normal. In an eye with a narrow drainage angle this can make things worse. The medication also kept my headaches away so I hope that the procedure I am having helps with my headaches.

I may have to have IOLs if the procedure is not sucessful.


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Im really sorry to hear this and i hope the treatment works for you good luck :wink:


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## dragabed (May 24, 2008)

*closed angle glaucoma*

good luck with the iridotomy,which i had a year ago, but have been told, it didn,t work. 
i was interested in what you called the "symptoms" and how would i recognise them, i am very ignorant when it comes to medical issues and have never had to visit the doctors for 40 years until the optician diagnosed the glaucoma which i remember my nan had.


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

*Re: closed angle glaucoma*



dragabed said:


> good luck with the iridotomy,which i had a year ago, but have been told, it didn,t work.
> i was interested in what you called the "symptoms" and how would i recognise them, i am very ignorant when it comes to medical issues and have never had to visit the doctors for 40 years until the optician diagnosed the glaucoma which i remember my nan had.


The symptoms I had were, suddenly I saw rainbow halos arround lights, and my vision went as if looking through thick fog. luckily the symptoms went away within a short period. I wanted to believe that they were symptoms of a migraine but I suspected that they were not so took advice from a couple of optoms I have worked with. They both thought that it was a possible migrain or Glaucoma so I went for a check up to be safe.

Here is a link that explains more

>>CLICK HERE<<


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Sorry to hear your news Jezza.  I hope things can be sorted for the good. 

Good luck. :wink:


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

I hope all has gone well today and that it will be a success.


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## rowley (May 14, 2005)

Hope that all goes well for you Jezport.


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## Biglol (Jul 16, 2007)

I hope all goes well too, you didn't say whether it was in both eyes or one eye ? 

Just for the record, I have been driving now for 21 years with one eye, having lost the sight in my left eye in a DIY accident in 1982. I was told not to drive for a month until my good eye was able to compensate. Had to give up snooker, I kept touching the white ball before I wanted too.


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

Well here I am, slightly sore eyes but have felt worse after wearing contact lenses.

The laser treatment seems to have been sucessful and the consultant commented that my angles have opened massively. My pressures were tested as normal. I have another appointment for a check up on Wednesday and have to use drops for a couple of weeks but hopefully I am sorted.

I chose to pay for my treatment privately as the private hospital has a more advanced laser that does the job at lower temperature so should avoid any complications (other than lightening my wallet of nearly a grand). But what is more important than sight?


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Thank you for posting a fascinating thread, it is good to hear that the outcome for you sounds positive.

I knew nothing about glaucoma until you posted this alert - yes I have had my eyes tested with the infamous pressure puffer at frequent intervals, but I knew nothing about the symptoms.

I suspect that I am not alone in this ignorance and wish to express my thanks to you for raising an important topic that all of us should be aware of. As has been said, our eyesight is the most precious sense that we have.

I do hope that the progress continues, even if the wallet is lighter! :lol: 

As you say, well worth it!  

Dave


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

Biglol said:


> I hope all goes well too, you didn't say whether it was in both eyes or one eye ?
> 
> Just for the record, I have been driving now for 21 years with one eye, having lost the sight in my left eye in a DIY accident in 1982. I was told not to drive for a month until my good eye was able to compensate. Had to give up snooker, I kept touching the white ball before I wanted too.


It was both eyes, however they usualy treat both eyes. I have always had poor vision in one eye so have worried even more as I know that I would struggle to cope with just my bad eye.


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

Penquin said:


> Thank you for posting a fascinating thread, it is good to hear that the outcome for you sounds positive.
> 
> I knew nothing about glaucoma until you posted this alert - yes I have had my eyes tested with the infamous pressure puffer at frequent intervals, but I knew nothing about the symptoms.
> 
> ...


If I had not had the optical knowledge that I have I would have possibly ended up blind or at least partially sighted.


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## lalala (Aug 13, 2009)

Jezport I've just seen this thread. It is great news that things seem to be fine for you now, what a shock it must have been.
I've had several eye operations, including an emergency one in France a couple of weeks ago. Eyes are very precious.
Lala


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

I glad your treatment seems to have been successful and hope all goes well on Wednesday too.


Chris


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

As it seems that a lot of people did not realise the symptoms of closed angle glaucoma or other forms of glaucoma I thought I would post this article I found. But the best advice is to have a regular eye test.

Unfortunately, half of them are unaware they have this potentially blinding disease because they have no symptoms. “Too many people believe they can tell if they’re developing glaucoma,” says Dr. Gregory K. Harmon, Chairman of The Glaucoma Foundation and author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Glaucoma. “That’s one dangerous myth among numerous others,” he adds. Here are some of the myths Dr. Harmon explodes in his book.

Myth 1: Your vision will deteriorate or blur if you are developing the disease. 
Most forms of glaucoma have no symptoms or cause and no change in vision until late in the course of the disease. Once vision has been lost due to glaucoma, permanent damage has already been done to the optic nerve, and sight cannot be regained. This is why early detection and treatment before vision loss occurs is so vital. 

Myth 2: Only old people get glaucoma. 
Though frequency increases with age, glaucoma can strike at any time in a person's life. Approximately one in 10,000 babies is born with glaucoma, and children between the ages of 4 and 10 may develop a form of the disease called late congenital glaucoma. For those affected between ages 10 and 35, the most common causes are hereditary disorders. 

Myth 3: Glaucoma is always inherited.
Family history is a strong risk factor for glaucoma, but an absence of family history does not mean a person is risk-free. If there is a family history of glaucoma, everyone in the family -- from children on up -- should be sure to get regular eye exams. 

Myth 4: Ethnicity has nothing to do with glaucoma risk.
African Americans and Asians are at particularly high risk for developing glaucoma. Researchers have also recently discovered that glaucoma is far more common among U.S. Hispanics than originally thought. African Americans, who are 6 times as likely to suffer from glaucoma as Caucasian Americans, develop glaucoma 10 years earlier and are 14 to 17 times more likely to go blind than their Caucasian counterparts. 

Myth 5: All people with glaucoma have elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). 
Elevated IOP is a risk factor for glaucoma and is not the disease itself. There are more than 40 different types of glaucoma, and not all of them are associated with elevated IOP. Glaucoma specialists believe that some forms of glaucoma are strongly related to vascular changes and impaired “nutrition” (poor blood flow) to the optic nerve. The common thread among all glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve rather than elevated IOP.

Myth 6: If you don't have high blood pressure, you cannot have high eye pressure. 
Blood pressure and eye pressure vary independently. Controlling blood pressure does not mean IOP is controlled. However, high blood pressure is often - but not always - associated with elevated intraocular pressure. Interestingly, low blood pressure is strongly associated with some forms of glaucoma, such as normal-tension glaucoma. 

Myth 7: You can test your own peripheral vision to see if you have glaucoma. 
Most forms of glaucoma affect peripheral (to-the-side) vision rather than central (straight-ahead) vision. It is impossible to evaluate the state of your vision without a true visual field test conducted in the eye doctor's office. Furthermore, visual field testing is just one of the three vital diagnostic tests for glaucoma. It is also important for the doctor to look at the optic nerve head (disc) and to measure the IOP.

Myth 8: Glaucoma always leads to blindness.
This is one of the most dangerous myths of all. Some 90% of all glaucoma-related blindness could have been prevented with proper treatment. In fact, glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness. But you can’t get treatment unless you know you have a problem!

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. Whether or not you know you have glaucoma, it is crucial to talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment plans. Early diagnosis and treatment are the keys to controlling this “sneak thief of sight.” Call today and make an appointment to get your eyes examined. Make sure to encourage your friends and family to do the same.


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## domannhal (Aug 13, 2008)

Only just seen your post, Jez, and am so relieved that the op went all right. We also hope that all will be ok on Wednesday, and we'll see you at the next Rally. Ann,Mick,John and Sam xxxxxxxx


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Thanks Jezza for the excellent post on Myths.

Because I have diabetes, I have tests done each year by 2 parties...

1. My optician does the pressure test, and checks my eyesight. Next visit is next week.

2. The Health Trust sends a white van to our Medical Centre. It is equipped with cameras etc for testing for glaucoma. Next visit in October.

Good luck for early diagnosis.


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Glad the op went ok. Fingers crossed for Wed.


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## SilverF1 (Feb 27, 2009)

Jez, first of all, pleased the treatment is going well.

Your myth points are well made. I suffer from_ normal-tension glaucoma_ in one eye.
_Myth 5: All people with glaucoma have elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). _ 
Mine's in the normal range.

_Myth 6: If you don't have high blood pressure, you cannot have high eye pressure. Interestingly, low blood pressure is strongly associated with some forms of glaucoma, such as normal-tension glaucoma. _
My blood pressure is normal

_Myth 7: You can test your own peripheral vision to see if you have glaucoma. _
Mine has caused a slight blurring at the centre of vision. Fortunately not at a level which requires notification to the DVLA. I still have excellent peripheral and binocular vision and on a continuing course of eyedrops to prevent deterioration.

I support Jez's stance on this, get checked, or too late, you could find yourself with permanent damage. It was my optician on a routine examination who detected mine.


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

I have hat my post op checkup and it all looks OK. I am still on steroid (anti-inflamatory) eye drops for a week or so.

My angles have widened enough for my trabecular meshwork to be visible, it was not visible before, so thats a good thing. I still have narrow drainage angles but they are about double what I had before. I had hoped for a wider angle but with the irridotomy holes as a back up pressure relief I hope to be OK.

I will need another check up an a couple of months but I feel happier in knowing that I am considerably less likely to suffer another angle closure. If my pressures remain stable I will hopefully avoid any more surgery.

Now I await the hospital bill :roll: Hope it doesnt give me a heart attack 8O


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Thanks for the update Jezza and good luck...



> My angles have widened enough for my trabecular meshwork to be visible, it was not visible before, so thats a good thing. I still have narrow drainage angles but they are about double what I had before. I had hoped for a wider angle but with the irridotomy holes as a back up pressure relief I hope to be OK.


Have you ever thought about being a gardener? :roll: :wink: :lol:


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## domannhal (Aug 13, 2008)

Great news, Jez. I'm a bit nervous about you flashing your newly discovered meshwork at me, you won't dazzle me with it will you? :lol: Ann


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

As long as you can see that Parrot on your shoulder dont loose him.
really pleased you have better news and hope it continues. :wink:


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

Jez, have just seen this post, hope all continues to go well. 
Also hope this helps the headaches and that another treatment is found for your back.
Sue n John


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

Thank you everyone who has posted their kind wishes.

I hope that ths thread makes more people go for their regular eye test as it could save your eye sight!

Even if you are not due an eye test you can still have one if you are concerned by a change in vision or any other problem with your eyes.

Now Check if your eye test is due


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

http://www.medicalonly.com/2008/10/20/thyroid-disorder-glaucoma

Jezport have a read of this and tell me have you got thyroid problems as well?


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

locovan said:


> http://www.medicalonly.com/2008/10/20/thyroid-disorder-glaucoma
> 
> Jezport have a read of this and tell me have you got thyroid problems as well?


I have now read it, and it explains that the type of glaucoma caused by thyroid problems is different to mine. Mine is caused by the drainage being blocked by my iris, where the type described in the article is blockage due to a different cause.

Regards
Jez


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