Narrow angle glaucoma occurs when the pressure of your eye becomes too high. Untreated, narrow angle glaucoma has the potential to cause blindness. In fact, 9 to 12 percent of all blindness in the United States occurs due to glaucoma, cautions the Glaucoma Research Foundation.

Treatment

Doctors often begin treatment for narrow angle glaucoma by performing laser eye surgery and then follow the procedure with eye drops or oral medication if needed, according to the Harvey and Bernice Eye Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Method

During laser surgery for narrow angle glaucoma, doctors use highly focused beams of energy to destroy blockages in the tubes that drain fluid from your eyes, which often relieves the high pressure common with the condition. Medications for the treatment of narrow angle glaucoma relieve pressure by limiting how much fluid your eye produces and/or increasing drainage of fluid from it.

Place and Time

Laser surgery for narrow angle glaucoma usually takes place in your doctor's office rather than a hospital and is performed while you are awake but treated with a drug to numb your eye. Though effective initially, the effects of laser treatment often diminish with time, causing an increase in eye pressure that results in the need for medication.

Types of Medication

Eyedrops commonly prescribed for the treatment of narrow angle glaucoma include beta blockers like levobunolol, alpha-agonists like brimonidine, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors like dorzolamide and cholinergic agents like carbachol. The most common oral medications are acetazolamide and methazolamide.

Time Frame

Laser treatment surgery typically lasts only 10 to 20 minutes and produces effects within a few weeks after the procedure, explains the Mayo Clinic. Once you develop a need for prescription medications for glaucoma, you are likely to require the drugs for the rest of your life, reports the Harvey and Bernice Eye Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Source:

Mayo Clinic: Glaucoma

The Harvey and Bernice Eye Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences: Frequently Asked Questions

Glaucoma Research Foundation: Glaucoma Facts and Stats