Narrow Angel Glucoma

[seriouschanger]

I am here worried sick. I have had headaches for several weeks and in one eye side of face esp. Went to GP who said go for eye test and where they blow air into your eye.

Anyway eye sight is perfect but the veins going into my eye are extremely narrow..told I had narrow angel glucoma in both eyes and the opening is nearly shut.

Of course what do i do...contact Dr Google. It says you can go blind in 3-5 days....I have to go back next week for other test with flashing lights. He is referring me to the hospital as 'routine' not 'emergency'???

I am 38yrs who has had an extremely stresful 8 yrs and a 7 yr old child who has no one else and autism. I am worried sick...

option stressed if eyes become red/painful and weepy to get to A&E asap as could cause sight damage and blindness:(

Hi Serious.

I suspect something has not been explained very well to you and googling has got you much more worried than needed. It is difficult to explain it very well and even harder to take it all in if you have an awful headache. You sound so very worried. (I have an autistic child and know how frightening it can be when out of the blue your own health threatens the whole family!) I will try to explain but am not gifted at explaining so feel free to ask questions.

You were sent to have an eye test by the GP because you have been getting headaches. He wanted to be sure your eye pressure was not high ( the puffing test). If it had been high enough to be the cause of your headaches you would have been sent straight to eye casualty. It obviously isn't because only a routine referral has been made. However it sounds like the anterior chamber in your eye is narrow so although your eye pressure was not high when measured the optometrist wants an expert clinic to see if you might be at risk of pressure variation so that treatment can be considered. The flashing light test checks the field of vision and is a routine screening test for the more common open angle glaucoma amongst other things.
It is not uncommon to have a narrower angles than average ,but closed angle glaucome is quite rare so only a few narrow angles cause trouble. Hopefully the specialist eye clinic will be able to assess if you are at any risk. It is sensible to know about it and it is sensible to know about the symptoms so that you would know to seek urgent help if you or anyone got these symptoms. I suspect you have been told you have narrow angles but the discussion on ruling out glaucoma has got mixed in. I am not an expert in this field but hope you feel less worried. Hopefully someone with knowledge and better explaining skills will be along soon.
Hope your headaches resolve quickly.

Thank you magso (yes recognise you from SN children which i use diff name). I have had the mirgaines for 6 weeks. He was fluffing on if you get these symptoms which I know he meant well but then emphasising only doing a routine referral??...it is ds I worried about as no danger awareness can't dress(buttons/zips)/cook etc well he is 7yrs with asd after all! Single mum added to that so starts to think of the worst as I do!

What you are saying makes a lot more sense and thank you. I dont think I had narrow angle before as I would have been told on last eye test?...last time the pressure was really high...this time highest end of normal which is good this time. but nothing mentioned before and I think this optician would have said about it this time that it was there before so it must be new.

I have been using a steroid cream for a skin problem for 2 yrs...I wonder if this is the cause and have stopped using it at night so I have telephone consultation with gp on Tuesday to ask more Qs and 'emergency referral' as no glucoma in family and i can't cope with stress on top of everything else....break camels back etc

Good news though I have tried to not be so stressed as it can make it worse and I have only had only had one migraine since being told this as doing relaxing things for me for first time ever lol!

If I think of any Q's I will PM you Magso if that is ok?

Many thanks and hugs x

Yes fine to PM me. Good headaches are resolving. Please put your health first it is so hard to do but very important.