Welcome Medicare Nation! I just had my annual eye exam and what a surprise I got!  I was diagnosed with Narrow Angle Glaucoma!  How could I be diagnosed with Glaucoma being just 54 years old?   Not only was I diagnosed, but I had to have immediate laser surgery to correct it. I don't want any of you to be diagnosed with Narrow Angle Glaucoma, so I'm going to discuss glaucoma with you to help you understand this disease. There are several types of glaucoma. The two main types I will be discussing today are open-angle and narrow angle glaucoma. These types of glaucoma are marked by an increase of pressure inside the eye.   Open-Angle Glaucoma Open-angle glaucoma, (also called  Chronic Glaucoma), is the most common form of glaucoma, accounting for at least 90% of all glaucoma cases: In open-angle glaucoma, the angle in your eye where the iris meets the cornea is as wide and open as it should be, but the eye’s drainage canals become clogged over time, causing an increase in internal eye pressure and subsequent damage to the optic nerve can occur. It is a lifelong condition and needs to be monitored. It is the most common type of glaucoma, affecting about 3 million Americans, many of whom do not know they have the disease, because you will not have signs or symptoms until it is too late. You are at increased risk of glaucoma if your parents or siblings have the disease, if you are African-American or Latino, and possibly if you are diabetic or have cardiovascular disease. The risk of glaucoma also increases with age.   The 2nd type of Glaucoma is called - Narrow Angle Glaucoma Narrow Angle Glaucoma, also called acute glaucoma, is a less common form of glaucoma – less than 5% of the general population develops Narrow Angle Glaucoma. Far sighted people are more common to have narrow angle glaucoma, since their Front Chamber of their eye is smaller than normal. The Iris can “bow” forward, thinning the angle that drains fluid from the eye. Fluid builds up and so does the pressure inside the eye. This happens when the drainage canals get blocked.  Such as When you put a drainage stopper in the sink or something clogs the drain. With angle-closure glaucoma, the iris (which is the colored portion of your eye – your brown eyes, your blue eyes etc.) is not as wide and open as it should be. The outer edge of the iris can bunch up over the drainage canals, when the pupil enlarges too much or too quickly. This can happen when entering a dark room. Unlike open-angle glaucoma, narrow angle glaucoma is a result of the angle between the iris and cornea closing quickly.   What are some Symptoms of Angle-Closure Glaucoma? Hazy or blurred vision The appearance of rainbow-colored circles around bright lights Severe eye and head pain Nausea or vomiting (accompanying severe eye pain) Sudden sight loss  Treatment Treatment for Glaucoma an involve eye drops, laser or conventional surgery. Everyone is unique and may require different treatment. Eye drops A number of medications are currently in use to treat glaucoma. Your doctor may prescribe a combination of medications or change your prescription over time to reduce side effects or provide a more effective treatment. The medications are intended to reduce elevated pressure in your eye and prevent damage to the optic nerve. Eye drops used in managing glaucoma decrease eye pressure by helping the eye’s fluid to drain better and/or decreasing the amount of fluid made by the eye. Combination drugs are available for patients who require more than one type of medication.  2 Types of Laser Surgeries Are: Micropulse Laser Trabeculoplasty (MLT) is a common procedure for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma  MLT provides pressure-lowering effects. It is unique in that it uses a specific diode laser to deliver laser energy in short microbursts. MLT is a relatively new laser procedure. Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI) For the treatment of narrow angles and narrow-angle glaucoma. Narrow-angle glaucoma (also