in 2016 I was referred to the Eyecare centre for swollen optic nerve later diagnosed with IIH - which I’m now in remission for.
apparently, at the first appointment it was documented I had narrow angles, now this is news to me.
In September I had an appointment at the Eyecare centre as they’ve kept me under review yearly and I saw an advance nurse practitioner who mentioned the narrow angles but nothing to worry about I was told.
This didn’t sit right with me, and I googled narrow angles - big mistake ?
I then called back to the Eyecare centre and explained I was concerned about the narrow angles, and they arranged for me to have an appointment with a consultation for ‘reassurance’
At the appointment with the consultant he told me i did have narrow angles and suspected plateau iris - although my eye pressures have been within normal range 17 - 18 ish
He arranged a UBM scan which I’ve had and the dr who performed the scan said she agreed with the consultant that I MAY benefit from laser iridotomy. When I asked her about plateaus iris she said ‘hmmm a little bit’
I have my follow up with the consultant on Monday to discuss next steps I presume.
My concern is, why now, when they’ve known about it all these years ( I’m only 37 ) my vision is very good and I just worry that having a laser iridotomy at this stage might cause me problems I wouldn’t have otherwise had ( again I’ve been googling)
I’m just so unsure where to go with all this, I’m an carer for my disabled daughter and I need to be ok for her.
This entire situation has really effected my mental health, dealing with all this just before Christmas too.
In really would greatly appreciate anyone’s advice at this very stressful time
Hi! I don’t know how much I will help you, but iridiotomy is preventing procedure for people with narrow angles. You pressures is good now, but if something went wrong he will be arise for couple hours, and maybe make seriuos damage on optic nerve, and vision will drasticaly change. So it’s better do something to prevent further problems. You will get another opinion on appoitment so you can made right decision. Just stay calm! Wish you luck!
Please note this is only my opinion and you should research this yourself to make a decision. I have lost vision in one eye because I used a decongestant and I did not know I had narrow angles until I saw an ophthalmologist. Because of the decongestant, I experienced closed angle glaucoma. I found out that if you have narrow angles, you need to avoid certain medications including some dilation drops (look up scientific papers on this topic). Unfortunately, the spray went directly into my sinus, so it was more hazardous for me. These decongestants do not have any warning labels for this. I was also told to have an Iridotomy for my other eye which has not been affected. I have refused because I have seen some clinical studies that do not show very supportive evidence that this will indeed work. I have had two Iridotomies on my affected eye, and it has not improved my vision. I apparently lived with my narrow angles for a long time, and did not have problems because I did not take these medications. I normally do not use decongestants, but unfortunately I did at this time. Good luck and just do your research to make a decision.
I couldnt sleep an was looking at posts an saw yours , …
I found out i had narrow angles in fact extremely narrow , in both eyes an plateau iris as well, my pressure was 20 an 19, i was having pain felt like a needle stabbing me through the eye an muscle ache in the eye thats how i found out about my angles, i had iridotomy done to each eye, it didnt take so i had to have it done again , it worked an then i had to have the other laser all the way around each iris to combat my plateau iris , that wasnt pleasant but they said it worked, made my browny green eyes the colour of dirty dish water but eventually my eye colour came back, i have 20/20 all this was done 2016, im now having the same pain in my eyes so im back to eye hosp soon an my vision is off , but they think its my RA now .
while i was waiting for all these opps it messed with my mental health i kept crying it didn't help that one specialist told me i had a 75% chance of going blind if i didn't have the opps, life is hard as it is without that so i was freaking out but if they offer you these opps take them the alternative is too awful ,
I hope my experience helps you , good luck with it try an have a great Christmas .
RA rheumatoid arthritis, it can affect the eyes. Ive got Myasthenia gravis fibromyalgia , chronic fatigue syndrome an in remission from Endometriosis So yeah walking disaster to be honest. So when my narrow angles happened it was the straw that broke me , so i know how u feel.
But trust me when its done u’ll feel relief but it all takes time as your eyes have to rest between each opp an pop drops in.
Goodness me, you are very brave. I can appreciate where are are coming from with that, I’m currently in remission from a condition called IIH, so to now have this looming over me Is devastating.
My consultant said he would do both eyes on the same app, what you not recommend that? X
Hi Paula I had a blurred Patch like a larger floater appear in my right eye a couple of weeks ago and have since been told I have narrow angles in both my eyes it is worrying me so much I have had scans and eye doctor checked my eyes they don’t think the blurred patch is anything to worry about but would like me to have dilation done but to have this done I have to have iridiotomy
I am a very anxious person while finding this all out my mother got taken into hospital so it’s been a very stressful time
The eye doctor has said I don’t need to have the iridiotomy people who have narrow angles mostly don’t know they have but if they do and the pressure is checked regularly then can live normal life without treatment
I too am worried about if I have this done what other problems is it going to cause or as some people have said it didn’t work and they had to have it done again I don’t like that the nhs want to do them both at the same time that doesn’t sit right with me at all I am on wait list but am so uncertain what to do I was told the blurred area could just re absorb back into my eye but it’s all a little uncertain
Just wanted you to know your not alone it is very scary and I too am unsure x
Sorry for the late reply I’ve just noticed your comment. I’m so sorry to hear about your mum, I hope everything is ok?
Since this post I wrote, I’ve since had my laser iridotomy and for me it went without a hitch.
Prior to having the laser they do an eye test and put drops in, I told the nurse I was so severely anxious and she said if I could only manage to have one eye done then that’s fine, many people do that on the day. However, it was completely painless for me and over in seconds, i had my right eye done first, I counted 4 laser shots, I took a few seconds to sit back in the chair, I looked around to see what my vision was like and then I was just like right, let’s do it do the second one!
For my the whole procedure was anticlimactic in the sense I was like, was that it? Where literally my first thoughts after it was done! I was so shocked, because I had l had abit of a breakdown prior, researching all things, TikTok videos, forums, YouTube . . . . I was relentless, and all it did was make me severely anxious, worrying about things that I needn’t have.
We are all individuals, and my experience may not be the same as another’s BUT what I can say is if I can manage it, I’m neurodivergent and have a diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder, ANYONE can.
It’s been just over two weeks now since the laser and I have had ZERO visual disturbance, I could have driven myself home from the hospital after the procedure I had NO blurring. ( they don’t advise you to drive home but you get my point lol )
It’s been so plain sailing that my anxiety is like , did I really have it done, and the holes must have grown over ( i just love anxiety )
I have my follow up in two weeks time, and although I wouldn’t want to have anymore laser, if I needed too, I’d go for it with much less apprehension.
My pressures were within normal range before the laser 18-17 and after 15-13 . For me, I went ahead with it because with narrow angles there is a risk of an angle closure attack, i asked the consultant prior to laser how likely that would be and he said to me that it’s impossible to say, they can happen at anytime. He said that if I had an angle closure attack I would have wished I’d had the iridotomy, so I took the chance and opted to have the preventative procedure.
Feel free to message me anytime, I’m happy to share my experience and answer any questions you may have.
The anxiety is much worse than the procedure itself.
Just remember forums and online groups often have a negative bias as people only reach out when they need help or going through a tricky time, people often don’t post about positive outcomes.
Hi ! Thank you so much for such a lovely reply I am so happy for you that all went well I too suffer with anxiety ( health anxiety ) it takes over so much when you have scary things going on doesn’t it ?!
Thank you for so much reassurance can I ask did you have the laser done with nhs or private ?
I still haven’t decided what I am going to do my eye pressures are 15 & 17 I am actually going to see a private eye specialist in a couple of weeks just to get a second opinion I am still on the wait list for laser with the nhs
I didn’t know until the eye specialist I’m seeing in a couple of weeks told me that you are either high risk or low risk when you have narrow angles but when I had my appointment at the hospital I wasn’t told if I had either low or high just that I had narrow angles. I also have a blurred area in my right eye that was obviously the reason I got my eye health check and found out I had narrow angles I like you had no idea I’ve lived 43 years without knowing !
I am feeling like you did, what if I have this laser done and it causes other problems I didn’t have if I’m honest since they numbed my eyes on Monday to do scans and look at my eyes with different lenses my eyes have not been right they have ached and I have had headaches I don’t ever really get headaches.
we are very much a natural family and try to avoid any sort of medications so when I was told I might need this treatment done I went into a downward spiral with the stress of this and my mum ( who is doing so much better now thank you for asking ☺️ ) I just didn’t know what to do !
Thank you again for your reply it’s very much appreciated xx
I had mine on the nhs as I was very very fortunate to have landed with the lead consultant opthomologist for our area, so after doing lots of research on him, I thought I can’t get any better really so didn’t look for a second opinion. Otherwise I would have absolutely done the same as you,
Did you have a UBM scan, it’s like a rollerball ultrasound of your eye? That is the most accurate in measuring the angles and eye anatomy,
The numbing drops did temporarily cause a little headache and discomfort for me too when they did their tests which I’ve never really suffered with headaches before like you, but also It could be the anxiety of having things done causing headache, I only have to think of a dr and I get anxious, although I have anxiety I’m a dr dodger for sure, terrible white coat syndrome!
I totally understand where you are coming from I truly do, but for me i had do decide what risk I could live with more. This risk of angle closure attack even though it may never happen was enough for me, and if the NHS offered the procedure when really they only do things when it’s actually needed I just went ahead with it.
I suppose you could look at it by having the laser, it may prevent you from having to take medications down the line should your pressures rise and they offer you eye drops.
Hopefully seeing the private consultant will give you more peace of mind, and I suppose it comes down to what risk can you live with more at this moment in time.
Personally I’m glad I had it done, but I have my follow up in two weeks so naturally ( thanks anxiety )!im worrying about that now, there’s always something
No I have not had or been offered a UBM scan it seems you landed perfectly with having one of the leading opthomologists !
Yes I know what you mean it will be a case of which will I worry about less, I have been finding it very difficult to deal with the fact that I have this decision to make it kind of feels like a heavy cloud every morning I wake up atm which isn’t nice but then I have to tell myself there are people a lot worse off than me and going through so much more.
I am so happy for you and I’ll keep my fingers crossed your check up goes well I’m sure it will ☺️ you have given me a little reassurance that if I have the laser done it should be ok I will be having one eye at a time though I honestly don’t think I could cope with both at the same time I know you said it was so quick and simple you decided to have both done in the end which is amazing I’m not sure I would be so brave.
Did they tell you if you had high or low risk narrow angles ? Did you also have plateau iris too ?
I had the UBM scan to see whether in the laser was ‘worth’ doing or not. Then when I had the scan done the dr said said yes I may benefit from the laser as my angles are narrow so then had a follow up with the consultant again and he was just like yes let’s do it, because if you ever had an angle closure attack we would be doing this laser anyway and you would have wished you’d have had it done before!
I know how you feel about the heavy cloud, to be honest it sent me into a deep depression and I’m slowly climbing out of that now, although some people may have things worse, it’s all contextual and this is something happening to YOU and you’re feelings are valid,
I was absolutely adamant about only having one eye done at a time leading up to it, it once I was In the room and I had my first eye done I was like ‘ was that it ‘ ‘ bring it on do the second one’ which is not like me at all and I’m certainly not a brave person whatsoever! When I say if I can do it, anyone can.
They didn’t tell me high or low risk no, I just based it on the fact that they offered it means it’s something that I do need to have.
Yes I was told I have a little bit of plateau iris configuration and that is just how my eyes are anotomically small.
When I had my laser done I chatted with the consultant for abit and asked him will I need my lens’s replacing etc and he looked at me like ‘ are you mad’ 🤣🤣
He was like noooooo, and really called me out and said ‘ I think there’s been a little too much of DR Google here ‘ 🤣🤣
That’s the thing it’s IF you have an angle closure attack then you would need the laser anyway I’m still so unsure what to do I will see what the opthomologist says when I see her next weekend and go from there.
I do have the added worry with the slight blurred area in my right eye as they can’t be 100% sure what that is without doing dialation but they don’t think they can do that without me having the laser 🤦🏽♀️
Yes researching / googling things can be dangerous sometimes but other times it helps to give you more information to prepare yourself and gives you more knowledge.
The thing is - angle closure attack can do permanent damage to you’re sight , and I thought like what if I can’t get to a hospital quick enough etc I took the stance of having it done preventatively in a controlled way, as an angle closure attack wouldnt be and I didn’t want the risk of that happening in a chaotic rushed a&e trip with a random opthomologist that didn’t know my history and potentially causing any vision loss, I suppose for me I needed that extra peace of mind of having the ‘safety valve’ of the iridotomy.
I definitely agree you shouldn’t have dilation without iridotomy, that’s a big no no for narrow angles, so are certain medications such as antihistamines, decongestants and anxiety medications, specifically SSRI types. I think you’ll feel more re-assured after you’ve had a second opinion, maybe ask for a UMB scan so your eye anatomy can be fully investigated. Then go from there perhaps?
I know it’s a lot to take in, and it’s easy for me to say ‘go for it ‘as I’ve had the procedure done. There is a very good group on Facebook for narrow angles called ‘ narrow angle glucoma’ although like me you don’t actually have glucoma, but I found some really helpful Information there too,
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Narrow angles 
Should I have laser treatment for narrow angle eyes? 
iridotomy in three weeks absolutely terrified ( please be kind )
Narrow angles 
Help please is it possible in a month for the angle to change from narrow to wide open angles? This just doesn’t make sense to me.
