General Chat

Does anone have any personal knowledge as to how this affects daily life? My OH has just been told he may have it, and is to see a specialist on the 8thJune. I know it isnt curable, but can be contained. Back this evening.

Hi Jean - I was found to have Glaucoma a couple of years ago. Fortunately, it was caught early and my field of vision hadn't been affected, nor was there any nerve damage. I have been using eye-drops called Bimatoprost daily since then and will have to for the rest of my life. The only side effects I have from the drops are the skin around my eyes has darkened, so I have to use concealer, otherwise I look like a - oh dear, senior moment here, the animal that eats bamboo - can't remember - oh yes, panda! The good side effect is that my lashes have grown much longer, although my daughter says I look like a camel! Now I have no problems with my eyes at all (I had some quite painful bouts before I started treatment) and I see my consultant annually. Hope your husband will be OK and, if he does have it, that it has been caught early.

Thanks for the input. I had some idea but its nice to have the information from those who have the complaint.

Hope you don't mind Jean, but I am adding to this thread so that I can find it again as I was diagnosed borderline glaucoma a couple of weeks ago and I too would appreciate the advice of others with it.

Dianne xx

I also have bi lateral Glaucoma diagnosed about 4 years ago.
I use drops twice daily and have checks annually including visual fields

I do find the bright sun and bright lights at night a bit of a problem !

My son has also been diagnosed with it-he is 52 and is on daily drops his vision is very good -he does not need glassess even !

There is a lot of info on the internet if you google

I would add, Jean, as Rita said, please don't worry too much. Your husband is seeing a specialist in a few days and that's good. The quicker the better. What symptoms has he had? I just had a lot of pain behind my eyes, which prompted me to go and see my GP. He told me to go to an ophthalmologist to have them checked, who told me I needed an urgent referral and sent a letter to my GP saying so. I was given an NHS appointment at the Eye Hospital for over 2 months later, so I went privately within a few days. Thank goodness I did.

Hello Jean....l have emailed you!!


Knowing you he will be caught in time, how long has he had the symptoms ??
Keep us informed as to how things go.

Take care

jude :o)

It's in my o.h.'s family and he has suffered for a long time with night blindness but won't wear sunglasses in bright sunshine during the day. He is due another check up soon.

I do hope your o.h.'s eyes are ok and if it is glaucoma it's been caught early enough for treatment so he doesn't get worse.

Always something to worry about eh?

Take care
Lizxx

My oh was diagnosed with this two or three years ago - hoipefully it was recognised in time. He takes eyedrops regularly and has been for regular check-ups - and last time he was told he needn't come back for a year, which must mean it's well under control. It hasn't made any difference to his lifestyle - and obviously I was worried at first as we live out in the country and thought he would need escorting/being driven everywhere, which he would have hated - and I wouldn't have been that keen either!

I think,should you be diagnosed with Glaucoma,any children you have can get a FREE eye test as long as they are over 40

As everyone is saying if caught early these days it can be controlled

This was picked up on his regular sight check. He has been having very bad headaches, but as far as we are aware, no other symptoms.

my OH was diagnosed with this about 2+ years ago. the optician picked it up with slightly raised eye pressure. He was referred to the hospital and goes every six months for visual fields and eye tests . he uses drops once a day at bedtime and he must observe eye hygiene too by bathing his eyes 3 times a day because he has always had problems with blepharitis that flares up every so often.
The drops are keeping his eye pressure at a normal level but he has developed some visual field loss in the left eye. At 76 he has to renew his driving licence every 3 years and at the last renewal in march he had to have a visual fields test at the opticians , this is done using both eyes at once rather than the hospital one that does each eye separately . Apparently for driving the test takes into account that both eyes work together and one eye can compensate for the other. He passed and got his new licence, He says at 79 ,when its due again, he may not want to drive anymore so i can be the main driver !!

Shirley, this is my OH's situation, and I dont drive, so when he gives up life will have to change. A shame because everyone says he is a good driver.

I have had glaucoma in my right eye since the disastrous cataract surgery 3 years ago -- it was caused by the steroids used after the surgery.

My mother has glaucoma in both eyes. When I asked her about it this past weekend (her 80th birthday), I learned that her glaucoma also first appeared after cataract surgery. I think this is more common than we laypeople realize.

I have suffered no damage to the optic nerve, although the glaucoma was not diagnosed until 2 years after the cataract surgery. (The optometrist I went to for new glasses did the quick test, and when she picked herself up off the floor at my reading, she referred me to a new opthalmologist.)

Eye drops once or twice a day, depending on which medication your doctor chooses. Regular monitoring of pressure and vision testing. No big deal in terms of effect on everyday life, if the problem is caught before any damage has occurred. I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about what it might mean in future ...

Jean
OH visual fields hasn't changed much in the last 2 years ,.i think the damage was done before he was diagnosed even though the first diagnoses was slight glaucoma. The driving visual fields test isnt that bad as both eyes work together so any loss is compensated for, plus you automatically turn your head for vision so its just you may have to turn head a bit further.
Its a good job i drive though because they kept him waiting for the result as DVLA have a long time staff strike in the medical div. so cases piled up . We started the applications for the renewal licences in mid Jan .I had mine through 1st week in Feb, OH was mucked about with forms back & forward & then the eye test so in the meantime his licence ran out , what a nuisance cos i had to drive everywhere even had to take him to mass, come home & then go back to pick him up , he is a practising Catholic, Not ideal all that running around on a Sunday morning when there's other things to do and Lunch to cook . They finally issued his licence on the 27th march nearly three weeks late .what a relief for him to be independent again BUT at least it got me driving more consistently and we have agreed I MUST do my fair share now to keep my driving shoes up to scratch!! . i did say to him this is a taster of when neither of us can drive again no shopping trips etc ,i would have to do online shopping i think .

Shirley, I already do a lot of on-line shopping because I cant walk far. Janey, I had my cataracts done 21yrs ago, and have had no side effects, but saying that, OH had his done about 2yrs ago.

I also have glaucoma. I had been using eyedrops once a day (at night) but the specialist felt the pressure was a bit high so prescribed combigan drops to use in the morning in addition to the ones at night. After using them for a while I found after a day of gardening that I developed severe conjunctivitis. I assumed it was something to do with the gardening and the doc treated me for that, first with antibiotic cream, then with antihistamine drops but the conjunctivitis didnt go away, in fact it seemed to be getting worse. After 2 and a half months, just 2 days before Christmas I went to the doc in tears. She sent me to the acute eye clinic at a city hospital. The specialist there eventually decided I was allergic to the combigan drops. He told me to stop using them, and prescribed a different sort to use in the mornings. The next day my eyes were virtually cured!. So be aware that some people can be allergic to combigan drops.

Huia.

My Dad has glaucoma, he's 81 and had it for years. Has eye drops which are kept in the fridge.
I read a patient information leaflet today, which said if you are the parent, brother sister, son or daughter of someone with glaucoma, and 40, or over you can get free eye tests.

Hope all goes well today for your OH's appointment :o)

jude

Thanks, dont you ever sleep, Jude?