increased IOC

[Halaljello]

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ok guys, a friend of mine just got her eyes checked today (she's 17) and the eye doc said something along the lines of her eye being compressed and therefore increasing the inter-ocular pressure... I'm freaking out that it might cause glaucoma...does anyone know anything about this stuff? if so...care to offer any advice??

thanks

 

[cpw]

hey Tom, this one's all you 🙂

 

[OD2BMike]

I'd be more concerned about what is causing the compression of the eyeball rather than increase in IOP. The eyeball can tolerate moderately increased pressure for longer than you might think and glaucomatous damage takes a while to develop. Its all relative, but a pressure of say 35mmHg is probably okay for a few weeks. If there is an orbital mass or Graves Ophthalmopathy, this could be taken care of sooner. Are you sure that the doctor didn't say there was a visual field defect caused by a compression? That would be more common, I think. Tell us more if you have more info. 😛

 

[realruby2000]

I'm not totally sure whats causing the compression but the optometrist said that there's a 10-15% chance of glaucoma in the future...

 

[Chadleez1]

Is glaucoma treatable? My mom gets tested for it once a year because the optometrist said shewas a good candidate. So far, though, nothing has shown up.

 

[OD2BMike]

You haven't really given enough info to answer the question for sure. maybe someone else has other ideas?

 

[UWSO2003]

Hey all,

Is your friend hyperopic/far-sighted? Sometimes I find that the eye-docs aren't great at communicating simple things and patients are either confused or misunderstand what the doc is saying.

It could possibly be the hyperopia ..... especially in high hyperopes. In a lot of the cases, the person's eye is simeply shorter/smaller. Combine this with an enlarging lens as the patient ages and there is a risk of elevated IOPs ..... but it's nothing to really get freaked out about! I don't know the exact numbers, but the chance of developing glaucoma in the future is remote!

As far as treatment of glaucoma (someone correct me if I'm wrong, because in my juridiction OD's can't treat glaucoma) it is not curable. Most treatments (depends on the exact type of glaucoma you have) are aimed at slowing down the progression of the damage that glaucoma causes. You can presecribe drops (+/or oral meds) to decrease pressure, have laser procedures done, surgical procedures .... There is research being conducted on neuro-protective agents as well. If there has been some field loss, you will not regain it regarless of treatment.

Hope this helps ... !

 

[TomOD]

Hey all,

Just back from SECO in Atlanta and had a great time...and got some CE.

My guess, and it is absolutely a guess, based on the info. given is that your friend may have PDS (pigment dispersion syndrome....IS HE/SHE far-sighted?) This is where the iris sometimes rubs up against the lens and releases pigment. This pigment can be seen sometimes on the anterior lens capsule or in a vertical pattern on the corneal endothelium (why vertical?...because of the vortex movement of the aqueous inf. to sup.).

Because your friends doctor said she had some sort of "compressed" eye (whatever that is??.....concave iris??) and "had a 10-15% chance of glaucoma in the future", I would guess Pigment dispersion.

In addition to pigment dispersing on the lens and cornea (which is not a big problem), it also settles in the trabecular meshwork and "clogs" up the system......hence increased IOP and possible nerve damage----glaucoma--which is treatable but no yet curable. Once you have it, you have it for life. The goal is to preserve sight for the life of the patient.

Did the doc do goinoscopy? If it is a mild presentation, there may not have been much pigment.

This raises an interesting question that I come across daily. When do you tell a pt. about something minor? Do you tell them they have grade 1/2 NS (cataracts)? Some people freak out if they hear the word cataract.

Anyway... PDS is my guess.

Let us know what you find out.