NarroW ANGLES

Recently I’ve encountered an increased amount of both new and existing patients who have a condition known as “Narrow Angle’s”. This diagnosis is a form of Glaucoma, which is related to the increased intraocular pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma is a hereditary disease mostly commonly found in eyes with darker pigmented iris colors. There are available treatments for Glaucoma, the most common being daily drops “gtts” that patients can use once or twice a day. Drop treatment allows fluid inside of the eye (aqueous humor) to flow more freely from the front of the eye to the back without obstructions that can and cause the pressure to increase inside of the eye. Other treatments include the use of lasers to open new pathways in the iris to allow better flow. 

If gone untreated, increased pressure can damage a person’s optic nerve. The optic nerve interprets visual images and relays them to our brain, increase IOP has the potential to decrease peripheral vision over time and can ultimately lead to tunnel vision only. Special testing (including but not limited to) Humphrey Visual field, HRT scans of the optic nerve and OCT scans can be done periodically by an Ophthalmologist to track the health of the optic nerve and detect even the slightest decrease in peripheral vision. 

Patients who are hyperopic are commonly labeled as “farsighted” due to the curvature of the cornea and how light is refracted (bent) by the cornea of a hyperopic eye the image is projected behind the retina. This overshot of light is the reason why distant images are clearer than near images. Due to the anatomy of the eyes, a hyperopic person is at more a risk to have Narrow Angles... in conjunction with developed cataracts which have the potential to crowding the inside of the eye and induce narrow angles.

Okay so we’ve gone through a very basic explanation of glaucoma, hyperopia and how cataracts can have an effect, and how they can all be related, but what’s so bad about Narrow Angles?

Acute Narrow Angle Closure!!!

When those already narrow angles close and deny the flow of  intraocular fluid, the pressure builds, and builds and builds and causes an increase amount of pressure on the optic nerve which can cause redness, nausea/vomiting , and potential vision loss.. Yes.. Vision loss.

 How do you know if you have narrow angles? You have to be screened for it. A comprehensive eye exam will include a screening for the all forms of glaucoma, and any other ocular diseases.  If you know that you are hyperopic /farsighted, it may be wise to ask for an ophthalmologist to look at your eyes before the dilation drops are instilled. A person with undiagnosed narrow angles can potentially go into an acute angle closure attack when the eyes are dilated without the detection of a shallow anterior chamber reading.

Hopefully this post has been informative. If you have specific questions please feel free to comment below or contact your Ophthalmologist.