What Is The Opposite of GLAUCOMA?
Most adults are aware that elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) contributes to the permanent vision loss in glaucoma. Most glaucoma treatments (medication, laser, surgery) are directed at lowering IOP. Yes, there are other glaucoma risk factors but lowering IOP is the only controllable risk factor.Much discussion is spent on the 'ideal IOP', the 'borderline IOP', and the 'dangerous IOP'. What about the abnormally low IOP? Intuitively it sounds like the opposite of glaucoma and, therefore, a good thing. A good thing? Not so fast, Martha!
Consider this, normal body temperature is 98.6F and 103F is a fever. 93F is hypothermia, a life-threatening medical emergency. Looking at it another way, the normal air pressure in a bicycle tire is 65psi, the tube may burst at 115psi, but you will definitely not enjoy riding on 10psi tires!
The medical term for low IOP is hypotony (say high-POT-oh-nee). Persistent low pressure can cause serious changes inside the eye that can destroy vision. Hypotony often develops after eye surgery but typically resolves once healing is completed. Severe trauma, inflammation and infection can abnormally lower the IOP. Chronic hypotony can lead to blindness.
Treating the underlying cause for low IOP will usually restore the pressure back to the normal range. I was prompted to post this blog after receiving an inquiry about hypotony on the WebMD Vision & Eye Disorder Member Board. If you have eye questions regarding yourself or a loved one I hope you will meet me there!
Related Topics:
- WebMD Video: Are You at Risk for Glaucoma?
- WebMD Video: Spotting Eye Disease with Screening at the Mall
Technorati Tags: glaucoma, IOP, low IOP, eye health
1 Comments:
hello docter,
i just want to tell you about my case...
i had a traumatic left eye due to a fight...
After one year, i've noticed that i have anisocoria due to a myosis in the left eye.
The signs: small pupil, redness, relatively low iop from the right eye...
The symptoms: pain in the back of my left eye, my eye is seemed to be closed and relatively soft by the touch, hard to dilate in the dark, my vision is flue in the left eye...
i've concluded from my extensive research that it is caused by a spasm of iris sphincter who want to be returned normal...
Is it the "OPPOSITE GLAUCOMA" in one eye?
Is there a medicament opposite of cholinergics, and by proportion can eliminate the anisocoria?thanks u very much...
here is my mail abou_ilnoun@hotmail.com
Post a Comment