Do you wonder why YOU have got it? I often do and I know it is no good. OK I am myopic , a strong one, and over 40 so the risk factors are there. But no family history. The vast majority of aging myopic men and women do not get it. When I asked more than one doctors why I got it They all said,, basically, it just happens. Have you also asked and did the doctor shrug and say ''who knows''? It is no use but I can't stop thinking my long history of using contact lenses, or the several eye infections I have had have something to do with my having a glaucoma. That might have weakened my eye nerve, or that might have triggered it and so on.
Like I said I know the risk factors now and some apply to me. But I can't stop wondering what I have done wrong. Are majority of people here capable of just getting on with the card that life dealt you with? Or do you sometime wonder ''why me'' and it's ''unfair''?
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charles555
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Well I have never used contacts and no history or eye infections and eyesight perfect till 25year. Glaucoma at 50 .. happy birthday to me ! Now 52 and just hoping that unlike me dad I was identified early and treated so hoping outcome better . But sight is awful now regardless of the glaucoma so yes … I feel sad . But we all get something I guess .
As far as I am aware it is simply a condition which afflicts some people ( a minority ) and not others.
It is not caused by wearing contact lenses or whatever - you just get it if you are unlucky.
And there is often a hereditary factor.
Which was my case ( my mother had it ).
But also, again as I understand it, provided it is diagnosed before it has advanced too much ( hence the importance of annual eye tests ) the docs can arrest its progress with drops, and if necessary surgery, so you can live with it and not go blind.
Mine was diagnosed about fifteen years ago.
As far as I am aware the Travatan drops have kept it in check.
I still bump into things and have to watch out for that increasingly.
But am still allowed to drive so it's not too bad.
All in all there are so many conditions which advancing age renders one more and more liable to [ ' which flesh is heir to ' as Shakespeare said ] that if it doesn't get any worse I consider myself lucky, certainly compared to people who get cancer, MS, motor neurone disease, and all the rest.
If you can see reasonably well [ let being allowed to drive be the test for that ] then count your blessings !
No family history. Myopia in my right eye and a weak optic nerve but also signs in my left eye. Now I’m 71 I have friends living with various conditions and am grateful this one doesn’t affect my life as much as some. I’m also diabetic and that is genetic so just something else to live with.
I have open angle glaucoma. Diagnosed about 13 years ago. I’ve been using drops and had other helpful treatment.Like you I’m glad I discovered this forum.
Couldn’t agree more! It’s a lottery but there are genetic factors. There is a strong gene for it in my family -my father had it and 3 of his 4 children have it too. When you consider how wonderfully intricate the human body is it is amazing how well it keeps working into old age! We are fortunate to have the treatment options that are available now in the UK.
I had Uveitis in my left eye for about 8 years in just my left eye and was treated every time I had an outbreak with Maxidex Eye drops, which often I questioned because I read a lot of information about how using these can lead to Glaucoma. Sadly though even after questioning the doctor many times about this and could they try other treatments, I was always treated the same way. Then after a series of missed appointments due do the pointless lockdowns and having another outbreak I was told to use one drop a day for 2 months. Suddenly after a month my eye hurt so much I just thought the drops weren't working, so got myself down to hospital only to find out that alas the inevitable had happened, with an IOP of 49 I had instantly gone from not having Glaucoma to having it severely. Now I guess in a way I resent the treatment I received and blame them for giving it to me. But I guess what I'm trying to say is that most of the time they don't have the answers and unless you have alot of money and can afford private care, we have no choice but just to accept the hand we are given and realise that at the end of the day that despite the fact they try there best, to them we are just a number.
I reacted very badly to antibiotics which nearly killed me and it was a slow and long path to recovery. 6 years later and things are still far from normal. It is over this time period that I developed glaucoma and have needed 12 eye operations so far and no doubt more to come.
It is listed as a potential future side effect to these antibiotics. No medical professional has ever drawn an association but it seems unlikely it was any other cause.
I think for many though, glaucoma is not a fact of life but instead a disease of lifestyle (a diet built around carbohydrates) as many modern illnesses are.
Mine came through the female line of the family, great gran. gran, mum, me so being born with it and diagnosed as a teenager, I'm. Now 59yrs old, I really cannot remember a time when I wasn't using eye drops. I've often said Jenny without eye drops is like fidhbwuthout chips, it doesn't happen, neither my brother or sister have inherited the condition
I have had myopia since I was 20, I am now 66.I wore contact lenses for 30 years with no problems, except two short episodes of uveitis.
I switched to glasses 10 years ago when I had a cyst in my left eye.
At a routine opticians appointment in 2019 I was referred to the local eye clinic where I was told I possibly had glaucoma and I would be monitored for any deterioration.
Unfortunately, my next appointment, with a field test, was cancelled due to the lockdown and follow up appointments were by telephone!
It wasn't until May this year that I had a field test that found a loss of vision (15%) in my right eye.
I was shocked and angry with my situation as I felt let down by the N.H.S.
However, now that I am in the system and using the prescribed medication (Ganfort and Azopt drops) I feel I have no option than to put my trust in them, although I am doing my best to take control of the condition by trying to live as healthily as possible with a good diet, exercise and the careful use of vitamin supplements.
I believe acceptance of the condition and trust in the medical team as well as taking personal responsibility by eliminating anything that might raise the eye pressure is the best way forward and I am trying to maintain a positive outlook.
Hi I am 63 diagnosed with ocular hypertension 2 years ago then in january 2021 glaucoma. No family history of glaucoma. I too have asked these questions to a doctor, and why me syndrome. Its awful you can still get many other diseases in your lifetime this is just an additional one thrown in... it can't kill you, however mentally it can totally screw you up and the constant worry of what is going to happen to you next. You see the changes with side effects in your body with your medication... you read about the treatments that people on this site have gone through and you wonder will that be me. Its the unknown, its like having cancer and constantly waiting for the results every time you visit the consultant, crossing your fingers, saying prayers and just living with the unknown. Let's face it, the only thing to try and help us all is to keep the pressure down, however its not the same for everyone, people still get macular damage with low pressure. Its just your luck really and doing all the right things with natural supplements and food.
I did discover though the research myself that topical steroids can possibly give you glaucoma. I have used topical steroids on my scalp for psoriasis for over 32 years (now stopped of course and in total discomfort with itching) and my doctor confirmed this when I asked her could this be the reason. Other things raise pressure decongestants, also took them as constantly stuffed up all year round, (have had an mri on my sinuses no problem there). So check other medications that you take, they could be the reason.
Sorry if I sound depressed, you do have to also say to yourself there are people with lung cancer who have never smoked..... therefore I do think stress plays a big part after all glaucoma is a disease and any disease is your immune system and stress affects your immune system... and i have always had stressful jobs, I'm in one right now... I run a very busy hotel. Therefore what do I do leave the job I love.... I am just trying to alleviate the stress that is all I can do... You are not alone in your thoughts, acceptance is extremely difficult. kind regards valfrance
Like you, I wore contact lenses. For over 40 years. And I do wonder whether the solutions which were sometimes fairly viscous have contributed to sealing up the trabecular meshwork. I've asked doctors this question several times but none have an opinion on it. Perhaps this is an area where Glaucoma UK might consider funding research.
My Dad had glaucoma so I knew I was at risk from when I was in my 30`s. My Dad lost the vision in his left eye but kept the vision in his right eye until his death in 1987, but he, of course never knew that he was at risk.
So from the age of 40 I started to go for regular check ups at the opticians and was eventually diagnosed with narrow angle glaucoma aged 47. That was in 1994. I had iridotomies straight away and have been using drops only since 2011.
I understand how you must feel but I`ve never questioned `why me?` It`s something I inherited - I`ve had the best treatment available and I feel lucky that aged 74 I still have the vision I have and that I was able to do something about it in the first place.
I`m guessing you`ve not long been diagnosed and still coming to terms with it. But don`t spoil your life by blaming yourself and asking why. Life`s too short believe me.
Hi. I was on a nasal steroid spray for seven years and then I developed normal pressure glaucoma. I feel so lucky that the optician noticed I was missing some of the dots on my peripheral test. I was referred to the eye department and they confirmed I had glaucoma. When I told them I was on a steroid nasal spray they told me to stop taking it immediately. I then did some research on these steroid sprays on Google and it did say they can cause glaucoma! My glaucoma at the moment is stable and I really hope it stays like that.
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