Acute Glaucoma

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This condition is more likely to happen in long sighted people who have a naturally shallow anterior chamber.

This is because the iris is very close to the back of the cornea causing a narrow angle which can block off suddenly. This results in a sudden and very high increase of intraocular pressure.

The eye will be very painful red and the vision blurred. This condition is treated as an ophthalmic emergency.

• Treatment of acute glaucoma is initially with drugs to reduce the pressure within the eye.
• To prevent further attacks a a quick and relatively painless procedure called a laser iridotomy can be performed.
• This is done as an out patient under local anaesthetic.
• The Laser spots are used to make a small hole in the iris providing a bypass for the aqueous humour to reach the trabecular meshwork
  

  Laser beam applied

  to iris to create

  small hole (Laser Iridotomy)

  

Flow of aqueous humour

• Digital Imaging for Glaucoma (OCT)
• Visual Fields Test
• International Glaucoma Association www.iga.org.uk

Treatments for this condition are:

• Laser iridotomy
• Viscocanalostomy
• Trabeculectomy