I have glaucoma and im only 18!! I really need help ... Thanks?

Question

ok the pressure on my eye is 27mmHg and i take alot of medicines to control it
ok but the thing is that my eye is totally atypical as my doctor says the normal thickness of the cornea is 520mm while mine is 726mm so my eye can support higher pressure because of that and that the 27mmHg may mean 22 or lower
do you know anythign about it? can you say what would be a normal pressure to an eye in my condiction? also do you know anythin g i can do besides medicine and surgery to low the pressure? anything i can eat , drink ..
i also would like to know if stress make it higher

thanks very much

what do you mean SmartGuy LV

what is marijuana and how people can envy me from being sick???? i dont get it

yes i have it since birth , it is cronic looks like it is in my genetic cause my dad has it 2

yes i have done the Humphrey Field Test actually i do it every year and it is always the same , in other words i didt loose any field oif my vision yet ( and i hope i will never)
but what makes me even more scared is that tahts the only eye i got i mean i lost the left one bceause of the removal of cataract

i meant i didnt lose***

anand1836, thanks very much i will talk to my doctor and family and decide if i should go for the surgery
i will also take those vitamins and try to avoid stress

yagman i know exactly what you mean
my case is completly atypical so it is even harder to avaliate
he says he cant have sure of anything(if this pressure is good or not) because my eye is totally diferent
he is a very good doctor he teaches in the university of my city and all but he has friends in other cities and they go to the congress to discuss my case and all of them be unsure but theyr final stament is that it is ok as long as i have it watched in every 6 months take the medicines and the Humphrey Field Test

Answer 1

Did your doctor actually say "You have glaucoma. We need to put you on treatment for the glaucoma."? Just because you have pressures of 27 does not necessarily mean you have glaucoma. From your question, it appears your doctor may have been saying that you have ocular hypertension (pressures somewhat higher than the average person). If he or she did not place you on any type of medical treatment then that is what they were saying.

When your doctor checked the pressure in your eyes he probably used a goldmann contact applanation tonometer. The instrument actually comes in contact with the front of your eye and physically flattens (applanates) the cornea. By seeing how much pressure is necessary to flatten your cornea to a specific degree he can then ESTIMATE the amount of pressure inside your eye that is resisting the pressure of the tonometer flattening the eye. The reason it is an estimate is because the readings are based upon an average eye of average corneal thickness. You see, when the tonometer flattens the cornea, the pressure inside the eye is resisting the flattening but also the corneal tissue itself resists the flattening of the tonometer. So, the thicker your cornea, the higher the pressure will read on the tonometer. If your cornea is much thicker than normal, then the reading the tonometer gives the doctor will be FALSELY high and not be a true representation of the actual pressure inside the eye.

It sounds to me like your doctor is not actually saying you have glaucoma but is rather saying that he wants to watch you closely to make sure you do not develop glaucoma. The pressure reading the doctor finds on the examination is not NEARLY as important as his assessment of the nerve inside your eye.

If your pressures are higher than normal but your optic nerves are healthy and show no thinning of the nerve fiber layer by testing with equipment such as an HRT or an OCT then simply put you don't have glaucoma. If your nerves are healthy and your visual fields are normal then it really doesn't matter that much what your pressures are. I know this sounds strange because so often doctors get fixated on "what's the pressure?" As our understanding of glaucoma gets better we are finding that some people with thick corneas have falsely high pressures and also that some people simply have nerves that are capable of withstanding much higher than normal pressures without any apparent damage. So, listen to your doctor's recommendations. If he isn't actually treating you right now he is telling you that everything is ok to just watch. Hope this helped.

Answer 2

Actually, you don't have glaucoma yet. Glaucoma its the damage that results from elevated IOP (InterOcular Pressure). The fact that you are young and your cornea is thick probably means that you have had elevated IOP all of your life and the cornea developed extra thickness to cope. What the long term effects of your high IOP will be are impossible to say at this time, your doctor will be monitoring your condition and he will be better able to tell you what the likely progression of your condition will be. There are no supporting strategies for the treatment of IOP, you cannot change your condition with diet or exercise, the only thing that will make any difference is not smoking. Although marijuana has been shown to lower IOP, there are medications that are as effective and legal. The best advice that anyone can give you at this point is to trust your doctor and use your medications as prescribed. Good luck, I wish you well.

Answer 3

What can pass as normal pressure for some people is high enough to do damage to the nerves in others. Some people have about 16mm and glaucoma symptoms.

The only reliable way to tell whether your pressure is at an acceptable level is to take a Humphrey Field Test. That is a computerized test where you look at a screen staring at its center. A computer then randomly generates bright or dim, small or large, central or peripheral spots. When you see one you press a clicker. The computer puts dots where you have seen it and blanks where you have not. As a result an ophthalmologist can see whether you have lost your vision around the edges of your field of view. Comparing repeat tests will tell whether your eyesight around the edges where glaucoma cases problems is getting worse (sad to say but for glaucoma it never gets better). That is a key tool in seeing which medicine and at what dosage you need to keep your pressure at the best level.

Answer 4

Did u have it right from birth? Rule out congenital glaucoma..
coz glaucoma is usually a disease of 40's or 50's..
In my opinion corneal thickness should not be taken into consideration.. finally it's the pressure that matters.. it's quite high..
usally there ll be good response to medicines.. if it persists u can consider latest LASER treatments rather than surgery..

CAUTION: Glaucoma is a serious condition. Before using any home remedy, be sure to consult an eye specialist.

Home remedies for glaucoma
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) deficiency is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies in the US. B2 is also the vitamin that's most beneficial for eye problems like glaucoma. Take 100 mg every day, along with a B-complex supplement (The reason for the B-complex supplement is that large doses of anyone of the B vitamins can result in urinary losses of other B vitamins.)
Soak a cloth in hyssop or witch hazel tea and apply to a black eye to reduce swelling.
Bathe the eyes morning and evening in an eyewash made with fennel seed, chamomile or eyebright.
Make an eye wash from eyebright, goldenseal, strawberry leaf, or witch hazel tea to relieve irritation.
Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes.

Yes try to avoid stress.. try yoga/meditation too

Take care..

*** Oh you had right from birth.. sorry to hear that.. you should not have delayed until now i feel.. its ok.. Tab.diamox 5-10mg/kg body weight is usually prescribed..

Surgery is more important.. Trabeculectomy + trabeculotomy will be done.. you can also mail me at [e-mail]

good luck...

also read more info about congenital glaucoma here..
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/primary_congenital_glaucoma/article_em.htm

Answer 5

Wish I could help. I've had optic neuritis and lost alot of my vision... so I can sympothize... but there's nothing I can tell you about reducing the pressure inside.

Answer 6

well pressures should ideally be under 20mmhg

you do have a thick cornea . Has your doctor talked to you about lasers.

Answer 7

Hello, well i was reading Cannabis (marihuana) can help to reduce the pressure of your optical nerve. Good luck

Answer 8

How do you expect to get a proper answer here? These are questions for your doctor, not a stranger.

Answer 9

No insult intended, but please don't ask questions like this on here. Your doctor or a specialist will know the answer, not us. They know you and your condition, and we don't.

Answer 10

You sound like a good candidate for Medicinal Marijuana. Lucky!!!