some questions for the experts...

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ryche22

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hey hey...

i feel a little odd posting here, after lurking in the dental forums for so long...but anyways

i had a questions about my sight, glaucoma, and cysts.

my vision is generally very good, never needed glasses or contacts, but over the past few years it has been a struggle driving sometimes, or reading the board in class. (im 23 years old now). I went to see the opthamologist a couple years ago, and was very vague with me.

He tested the pressure of my eyes if i remember correctly, and said that it was way above normal...i think it was a 17 and the normal is 11??? (could be way off) He said because it was so high, I have a high chance of getting glaucoma, and said there was nothing he could do. that was the end of discussion about that...very odd, like he dismissed it altogether.

also there is a cyst on my right eye. when i close my eye you can see it, not that big, but noticeable if you really look for it, maybe 2-3 mm wide.

he said that removing it would cause more problems than what its worth because the scar tissue could hinder my vision, and could have complications with the eye pressure.

after that he let me go with a smile like everything was ok...not a good experience on my part though.

i just realized that through this forum i have access to tons of information from some real friendly, intelligent people. sorry if my facts are vague, its been years since i heard the news.

late
rick
 
I'm assuming your doctor thought you had "ocular hypertension" with normal optic nerves and visual fields. Normal eye pressures may range from ~11-21 mmHg. The Ocular Hypertensive Study showed that the rate of progression to glaucoma in ocular hypertensive patients followed for 5 years with pressures of ~24-32 mmHg was 10%. If treated, then the chance is reduced to 5%. Basically, we must treat 100 ocular hypertensive patients to help 5. This is why IOP alone is not the best way to judge if someone has glaucoma. Several factors must be looked at: corneal thicknesses, optic nerves, gonioscopy, IOP, and visual fields. If we start a patient like yourself on medications, then it is life-long treatment. Thus, the diagnosis of glaucoma should be confirmed before starting treatment in any patient.

In regards to the cyst, is it on the eyelid or eye ball? From your description, it sounds more like a bump on the eyelid.

Also, without a family history or other underlying problem, glaucoma at age 23 is atypical.
 
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