Angle-closure glaucoma occurs when the drainage angle between the iris and cornea becomes blocked, preventing normal fluid outflow from the eye. This can cause a rapid rise in pressure and sudden symptoms.
Acute Angle-Closure
Acute attacks present with severe eye pain, headache, blurred vision, haloes around lights, and often nausea or vomiting. The eye may look red and feel hard to touch. This is a medical emergency.
- More common in people with short, hyperopic eyes
- Can be triggered by pupil dilation in dim light or medications
- Often affects one eye first, but the fellow eye is at risk
Chronic Narrow-Angle Forms
Some people have intermittent or chronic angle closure with milder symptoms or none at all. Gonioscopy and imaging help identify narrow angles before an acute attack occurs.
Treatment
Initial management lowers pressure with drops and systemic medication, followed by procedures such as laser iridotomy or lens extraction. General information about glaucoma is available on the glaucoma page and in the Blue Fin Vision® article what is glaucoma?.
