Hi all - it’s been a hellish year in and out of hospital with my eye but I was finally diagnosed with normal tension glaucoma yesterday and receive my drops on Friday.. I am 32 and was wondering if there are any other people in their 30’s on here?
Feeling very alone and concerned.. and quite lost!
Wishing everyone well x
Hello Glaugal
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I'm in my early 40s, was referred to glaucoma clinic in my late 30s and diagnosed with normal tension glaucoma in 2022.
Do you mind speaking about what happened to you and your experience getting a diagnosis?
I feel like it’s been such a rollercoaster and I think I’m still in shock
I was referred to the glaucoma clinic after a routine eye test in 2021 where i missed some spots in the vision field test. I had initial consultation and explained to them there is a family history of glaucoma. Six months later i had another scan, and vision field test then had a follow up appointment to say it was glaucoma i had.
I was also in shock and cried thinking of the worst case scenarios. The consultant said I was quite advanced for someone my age. On paper i have lost a bit of my peripheral and central vision in my left eye and started to lose a little peripheral vision in the right eye.
I was prescribed latanoprost and had a checkup 4 weeks later. The eye drops hasn’t lowered my eye pressure so the consultant recommended i do a trabeculetomy. I had the operations done on both eyes (6 months apart) about a year and half ago. Due to being a younger patient my eye healed too quickly so there was scarring so they had to do needling to soften the scar tissue.
At my last check up in February the eye pressure of my right eye has gone up so they have put me back on eye drops to see if the pressure will lower and if not I might to go back to theatre to get my trabeculetomy revised.
I don’t want to put you off having any surgery if that’s what the consultants think is best for you, and everyone’s healing journey is different. For me i have been left with light sensitivity and very dry eyes afterwards. Hopefully the eye drops work for you to lower your eye pressure.
hi. Got diagnosed with glaucoma aged 32 (8 years ago now) after taking anti depressants (Lamotrogine), get frustrated and down sometimes but nothing I can do about it now. Also got told I have early stage cataracts as well. Just have to eat well and use my drops.
Vision hasn’t really changed since I was diagnosed. Chin up!
Hi Glaugal, I was 28 when I had the trabeculetomy because of the high pressure in my both eyes. Now I'm 41 and have been using eye drops three times a day to lower the pressure all these years. So far it's stable, but I know the feeling of anxiety, and also that feeling while sitting in the lounge at the clinic waiting for my turn and everyone around is over 60. I just trust that by the time we will be 60 there will be advance in science and medical solutions to treat glaucoma. My opthamologist keeps insisting I should not focus on thinking about my eyes all the time, we have to and can live a normal life. So you are not alone and just live a normal life, hope knowing that helps.
Thank you GirlWithTheBow Blindbeggar83 Ingaga - I think it’s the not knowing and not knowing how long things might take..
I’m breastfeeding my 7 week old daughter at the moment too so there’s only one set of drops I can try until I stop breastfeeding. So that may also be in question too.
Thank you all for your stories and your kindness, I was told point blank no one under 60 gets glaucoma by the original consultant so I feel like it’s been quite a U-turn.
Lol no one gets glaucoma under 60? Does that consultant only see patients 60+? If you visit glaucoma.uk, they have stories where people share their experiences of living with glaucoma. There were people there that were diagnosed with glaucoma before they were in their 60s
Hi, I recently posted a similar post as I felt very alone.
I am a little older 44, but was told in January that I had closed angles and referred for laser iridotomy in March. After the procedure I had to go back in due to the pressure and was referred for cataract surgery which I had last week on my left eye.
It’s a cliche that it’s happened so fast but people on this forum have been really helpful with trying to educate me and helping me better appreciate the long term goals.
I had not experienced any previous symptoms or sight issues so I’m pretty depressed having blurred vision currently and having another operation pending on a few weeks.
Funnily enough I was looking for people from a similar demographic but got some great wisdom from some more “experienced” members of the forum.
Hope you get the help that you are looking for and good luck with everything, it feels far too young for me to be going through this so can really appreciate how you must feel.
Apologies for the typo here previously, just realised..!!Hi from Thailand,First of all 'Accept 'the diagnosis, secondly get used to the eye drops from the start,learn and adopt the correct way of putting eye drops, Always around the same time, give or take an hour or two! Always do 'Puntual occlusion '(look it up, plenty of information and fabulous YouTube videos)so the medication doesn't travel downwards into the sinuses and into the blood stream,I always look up!!It will be a while before you embrace your situation and make it a part of your life and befriend with your medication!I don't know what your IOP (Intra Ocular pressure should be). Important you know and learn about this!!(I hope to give up the eye drops later this year, that's a big step for me!!😂)....Begin to enjoy your life and make sure you have eye examinations regularly!Learn what you cannot do like deep sea diving etc, don't worry flying is very ok, Good wishes and don't feel alone,we are all here, just reach out!💖...I just wanted to add a couple of very important things you must remember.Always always use only Preservative free Eye medications.Do not use any medication with BAK(Benzalkonium chloride). Good Morning from Thailand and monsoons beginning at last after 5 months of heatwave, unbelievable experience, visit us sometime with your family!
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