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This page/column contains information which may be of interest to consumers. The information is based on articles which appear in Australian Prescriber. As Australian Prescriber is written for health professionals, you should discuss any issues raised by this page/column with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to give a more detailed answer to your questions by reading the main article.
Australian Prescriber is unable to comment on individual cases or give second opinions.
Australian Prescriber Vol. 25 No. 6 2002
Drugs for glaucoma
If the pressure of the fluid inside the eye gets too high, the patient has glaucoma. There are usually no symptoms, but if the glaucoma is not treated the patient may go blind.
People over the age of 40 years should have their eye pressures checked every 4-5 years. Checks may be needed at an earlier age if there is a family history of glaucoma.
Glaucoma can be treated with a variety of eye drops. Sometimes more than one type of drop will be needed to lower the pressure.
Eye drops can get into the body through the tear passages. This can result in side effects. For example, some eye drops called beta blockers can cause wheezing. To reduce the risk of these effects patients should press on the tear passage (in the corner of the eye, near the nose) for a few minutes when they put drops into their eye.
