What does it mean when you have narrow angles in your eyes?

What are narrow angles? Narrow angle is a term used to describe the shape of the drainage angle of the eye. Narrow angles are more common in people who are farsighted. This is because farsighted people have shorter eyes than those who are nearsighted or than those who do not need glasses at all.

Do narrow angles mean glaucoma?

Narrow angles may be a precursor to angle-closure glaucoma, the kind of glaucoma that can have a sudden, painful onset or a slow unrelenting downhill course. The best time to prevent the damage that angle-closure glaucoma can cause is to treat it with a laser iridotomy before the actual disease sets in.

Can you dilate a patient with narrow angles?

Dilating a patient with suspected narrow angle is a strategy some practitioners may use to identify angle closure in the office, but it should be noted that it is ineffective for this purpose. Angles usually close later in the period of dilation, when maximum contact between lens and iris tends to take place.

Can you have narrow angles and not have glaucoma?

Many people who have narrow angles do not have high pressure or glaucoma; however, narrow angles are a risk factor for angle closure. People with smaller eyes or who are farsighted are more likely to have narrow angles.

How do you know if a angle is narrow?

It is important to evaluate all angles carefully. If the most posterior structure visible is the posterior trabecular meshwork, the angle is described as narrow. If only the anterior trabecular meshwork is visible, the angle is typically open 10 degrees or less and is likely to close.

Can stress cause Narrow Angle Glaucoma?

The literature suggests that stress may play a part in the precipitation of acute closed-angle glaucoma because intraocular pressure (IOP) can be affected by the emotional state of the patient.

Can narrow angles be cured?

If one has narrow angles as well as a cataract, cataract surgery can sometimes be performed since it will both improve the vision and usually cure the narrow angle as well.

What happens if you dilate someone with narrow angles?

When dilating a cataract patient with narrow angles, such as this one, the risk of acute angle-closure attack is very low. The surgeon will dilate the eye at the time of surgery and take out the cataract.

Can stress cause narrow angle glaucoma?

What should I avoid with narrow angle glaucoma?

Patients with Narrow Angle Glaucoma should avoid cold remedies which contain Pseudoephedrine, Phenylephrine or Neo-Synephrine; anti-histaminics Chlorpheniramine, Diphenhydramine or Benadryl and overactive bladder remedies such as Detrol.

Can narrow angle glaucoma be cured?

Laser iridotomy is a procedure to treat narrow angles, chronic angle-closure glaucoma, and acute angle-closure glaucoma. The impact of an acute-angle closure glaucoma attack is profound and irreversible, and the condition must be treated immediately.

How do you fix narrow angles in your eyes?

In general, treatment involves either laser surgery or cataract surgery. Laser surgery typically involves making an iridotomy, which is a small hole in the iris that causes the angle to become less acute, and to open further.