Dr. Sam Boles, an Annapolis eye doctor, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all forms of glaucoma.
Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the United States, comes in many forms, including Primary Open Angle Glaucoma, Angle Closure Glaucoma, Normal Tension Glaucoma, and Secondary Glaucoma. Over the next several weeks, we will take a closer look at each type of glaucoma, giving you a better understanding of the eye disease.
About Angle Closure Glaucoma
Also known as acute glaucoma or narrow angle glaucoma, angle closure glaucoma is much rarer than primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), the subject of last week’s blog post. Unlike POAG where the intraocular eye pressure (IOP) increases gradually, angle closure glaucoma is characterized by a sudden increase in IOP, often in only a matter of hours. This dramatic increase in IOP can cause severe eye pain, nausea, vomiting, blurry vision and headache.
Why does this happen? Narrow angles!
With angle closure glaucoma, the angle between the iris and the cornea is not as wide and open as it should be. Hence the name: angle closure or narrow angle glaucoma. And when the pupil enlarges too much or too quickly, the outer edge of the iris bunches up over the drainage canals, causing the dramatic increase in IOP.
Angle Closure Glaucoma affects nearly 500,000 Americans, but is most common in people of Asian descent or those individuals with farsightedness (hyperopia). Fortunately, a simple test can be used to see if your angle is normal and wide or abnormal and narrow.
Angle Closure Glaucoma Treatment in Annapolis
A regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, the Anne Arundel Eye Center, led by board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, offers a wide range of advanced procedures to improve and preserve your vision.
Treatment of angle closure is usually a simple laser treatment called peripheral iridotomy (PI) or conventional surgery to remove a small portion of the bunched-up outer edge of the iris and unblock the drainage canals. Should you require surgery, your comfort and wellbeing are our top priority.
If you have any questions about Angle Closure Glaucoma Treatment in Annapolis or wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact Dr. Boles, Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!
For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.
Sources:
Angle-Closure Glaucoma – Glaucoma Research Foundation