I like most people knew the name but was not aware what glaucoma really meant. I actually felt that I probably just needed new glasses when I went to the optician. I was given a letter to take to my doctor's and then attended the hospital where glaucoma was diagnosed. I then realised that my right eye had limited vision. This does not affect me most of the time as I have learnt to compensate. You realise that carrying long items you may knock them into a wall and that working on steps or ladders requires more skill. I was diagnosed with excess pressure which had caused some damage to my right eye. This was brought down with eye drops put in at night. Two years on I find that my eyelashes now need regular trimming and are sticky in the morning. At times I am consious of feeling the right eyeball though not all the time. When I get colds they now seem to often affect my sinuses and my right eye becomes tender and reading becomes difficult but does not affect my distance vision. Some days my eyesight seems better than others. I am still able to drive though limit my night driving. Ease of reading at night depends on the lighting. I now tend to hold books away to the light rather than towards me. My eyedrops are Travoprost which have been very good at lowering the pressure in my eyes. I put the drops in both eyes and my left eye - apart from becoming a bit sticky is as good as before I had any eye problems. I have found the IGA booklets very helpful and would be pleased to hear of others who have taken Travoprost for periods longer than I have.

I was recently prescribed Combigan - a newish combination drop containing timolol and brimonidine. Whilst this has been successful in reducing my eye pressures, I now find that one of my eyes is watering copiously whenever I am outdoors. Of course, this could be due to other reasons such as a blocked tear duct, but so far I have been unable to relieve this condition. My consultant says that there is a procedure which can be undertaken in clinic. I wonder therefore if other members have experienced this problem following a change of medication and would be interested in learning if and how they were able to resolve it.

i have a son who has congenital glaucoma ...this was descovered when he was approx 6 weeks old....he is now nearly 14 years!......we have now since learnt( in this week passed) that he has some loss of peripheral vision..he is stll having tests at g.o.s.h...and may i say that the hospital people walk on water ..they are so good....and im lucky he has this hospital to go to...very lucky!!!! on a daily bases my son doesnt really have a problem ...so far!! but we will see the tests soon........ infact his vision is better than 20-20 as they say.......and reads the very bottom line in sight tests!!!always.. he has this in one eye only and no other defects that he has been born with (as some medical reports suggest ther could be given he is a boy and only in one eye)etc etc.... we will see what the tests bring............ does anyone out there have more knowledge of peripheral vision???? regards his mum

thankyou for your kind advice...... just concerned that as we need to go back in 8 wks, to see if this is a problem for him on a permanent scale...if this is so all these questions....what if......no driving when hes old enough....etc etc.... i know alot of "what ifs"......so well see (so to speak) in 8 wks.... just so worried for him........

Well, I'm better now, but I was in a state of shock for a couple of days. I finally decided I needed new glasses ---fine print and print in general are giving my 'older person eyes' a hard time. During the course of the exam, the doctor's demeanor turned rather serious and he started talking about elevated pressure and how it relates to my relatively thin corneas. I asked him if we're now discussing glaucoma and he said we were. He told me it's 100% treatable and I won't go blind. To even THINK there was a possibility of going blind was a little hard to process. My visual field test in in two weeks then I start the eye drops. Interestingly enough, I've learned that two other people I know -- who live in the same building -- were also newly-diagnosed. 'Makes ya think. What surprises me after reading the posts is how young many of you are. I always associated this disease with us somewhat older folks.