Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment to prevent optic nerve damage and vision loss.
Symptoms such as eye pain, headache, blurred vision, and nausea can occur if the pressure inside the eye rises suddenly. If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your ophthalmologist (a medical doctor specializing in eye care and surgery) immediately.
Self-Care at Home
No self-care measures are effective. Immediate treatment by an ophthalmologist is essential to attempt to prevent further permanent vision loss.
Following an iridotomy, your intraocular pressure (IOP) may experience temporary increases, so it is checked one hour after the laser treatment. A follow-up appointment is scheduled for the next day. During this visit, your eye is examined, and your IOP is re-evaluated. Your other eye may also be examined at this time to determine if it is at risk for angle-closure glaucoma and possibly prevent its occurrence.
You should continue to use the medications chosen to treat the acute attack of glaucoma for one day after leaving the hospital or clinic following the iridotomy. After this day, you may discontinue these medications. To help reduce inflammation, your ophthalmologist may prescribe corticosteroids for one week after your surgery.
If a laser iridotomy is unsuccessful in reducing the pressure, your ophthalmologist may repeat the gonioscopic examination to rule out the presence of peripheral anterior synechiae. If peripheral anterior synechiae are found, you may require a laser gonioplasty or a surgical iridotomy. Your eye doctor will discuss the next appropriate step in your treatment plan with you.
Regular eye examinations by an ophthalmologist can identify individuals at risk of acute angle-closure glaucoma. In some high-risk individuals, a laser iridotomy may be performed to prevent an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack.
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