Acute Narrow-Angle Glaucoma: Symptoms and Emergency Treatment
Acute angle-closure glaucoma is one of the few true emergencies in eye care. A patient can lose permanent vision very rapidly and can go completely blind in hours or days. If you have sudden eye pain with halos and nausea, call us now.
Symptoms of an acute angle-closure attack
In acute narrow-angle glaucoma the drainage angle closes completely and pressure inside the eye rises violently. The patient can lose permanent vision very rapidly and can go completely blind in hours or days. This is one of the few true ocular emergencies in eye care.
Symptoms can include severe eye pain, a red eye and nausea. Many patients also describe a sudden headache, blurred vision and coloured halos around lights. The pain is often severe enough that people present to an emergency room rather than an eye doctor.
These glaucoma sub-varieties are very serious and typically fast in their progression. Do not wait for a routine appointment. Call (813) 908-2020 and describe what you are experiencing.
- Severe eye pain and a red eye.
- Nausea or vomiting alongside the eye pain.
- Sudden blurred vision and halos around lights.
- Headache that came on with the eye symptoms.
How an acute attack is treated
Treatment has two jobs: bring the pressure down immediately, then reopen the angle so it cannot happen again.
Call, do not wait
Tell us you have sudden eye pain with halos or nausea. That description moves you to the front of the schedule.
Immediate pressure check
Pressure is measured and the eye is examined. In an acute attack, pressure is typically far above normal.
Medication to lower pressure
Drops and oral or intravenous medication are used to bring the pressure down quickly and clear the cornea enough to treat the angle.
Gonioscopy
Once the eye is clearer, your doctor examines the drainage angle directly to confirm closure and plan the laser.
Laser peripheral iridotomy
A tiny laser opening in the iris relieves the blockage and reopens the pathway for fluid. This is what stops the attack from recurring.
The other eye
Narrow angles are usually a bilateral trait, so the fellow eye is examined and very often treated preventively before it has an attack.
Frequently asked questions about acute angle closure
Is acute angle-closure glaucoma an emergency?
Yes. It is one of the few true ocular emergencies in eye care. Permanent vision can be lost very rapidly, and complete blindness can follow within hours or days without treatment.
What does an attack feel like?
Severe eye pain, a red eye and nausea are the classic combination. Most patients also have a sudden headache, blurred vision and halos around lights. It is not subtle.
What should I do right now?
Call (813) 908-2020 and describe your symptoms, or go to the nearest emergency room if you cannot reach us. Do not book a routine appointment and wait for it.
Why does the pressure rise so fast?
The drainage angle closes completely, so fluid the eye is still producing has nowhere to go. Pressure climbs within hours rather than years, which is why the damage is so quick.
How is it treated?
First, medication to bring pressure down quickly. Then a laser peripheral iridotomy — a tiny opening in the iris that reopens a path for fluid and prevents the attack from recurring.
Will my vision come back?
Vision lost to optic nerve damage does not return. How much you keep depends heavily on how quickly the pressure was brought down, which is the whole reason speed matters here.
Will my other eye have an attack too?
Narrow angles are usually a bilateral anatomical trait, so the fellow eye is at real risk. It is commonly treated preventively with a laser iridotomy before anything happens.
Can medications trigger an attack?
Some medications can dilate the pupil and precipitate closure in an eye with a crowded angle. If you have been told you have narrow angles, mention it before starting any new medication.
Five Convenient Florida Locations
Sebring
4211 US Highway 27 NSebring, FL 33870(863) 385-1544
Carrollwood
13904 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Ste 200Tampa, FL 33618(813) 908-2020
South Tampa
113 S Armenia AveTampa, FL 33609(813) 908-2020
Brooksville
14543 Cortez BlvdBrooksville, FL 34613(352) 596-4030
Gainesville
2521 NW 41 StGainesville, FL 32606(352) 377-7733
If this is happening now, call us
Sudden eye pain with halos, nausea or blurred vision needs to be seen today, not next week. Call (813) 908-2020 and tell us what you are experiencing.