How is glaucoma treated?
You may get a prescription for a medication to treat glaucoma. Glaucoma is usually first treated with medicine or a laser. If these aren’t enough to control the condition, surgery is the next step.
Most glaucoma medications come in the form of eyedrops. Sometimes pills are prescribed. Listen carefully to your doctor’s instructions about how often to take the medication.
Tips for taking your medicine:
- If the medication is an eyedrop, note whether you need to use it in one eye or both.
- Remember to use the medication every single day.
- Keep your follow-up doctor visits so that you can be sure your medication is keeping your glaucoma under control.
- Ask your doctor if you have questions about taking your medication.
How do I use my eyedrops?
The easiest way to give yourself a drop is while standing in front of a mirror.
- Place a fingertip on your lower lid and pull down gently.
- Tilt your head back.
- Put a drop in the space between your lower eyelid and your eye.
- Close both eyes and keep them gently closed for a minute or two.
- Try to avoid blinking too much. Just rest with both eyes closed.
- You may also gently pinch at the sides of the bridge of your nose, right where your upper and lower eyelids go together.
How do I know if the drop went in my eye?
Using extra drops can waste your medicine. It is important to know if the drop landed in your eye.
If you have trouble deciding if the drop of medicine landed in your eye, there’s a simple trick: Store the eyedrop in the refrigerator.
This is not to preserve the medicine. It will just be easier for you to feel the medicine landing in your eye if it is cold.
How can I remember to take my eyedrops?
Make sure you know how to take your medicine, and take it every single day.
There are many ways to remind yourself.
- Written medication calendars
- Notes to yourself
- Smartphone “apps”
- Or the gentle nagging of a spouse, family member, or friend.
How do I find a medicine that’s right for me?
The goal of treatment is to lower your eye pressure to a healthy level.
There are different types of glaucoma medications. Your doctor is likely to choose one to help you, then ask you to use it for a brief time. After using the medicine, you will return for a doctor visit to see if the medicine has helped your glaucoma. Sometimes people need to take 2 or 3 medicines for their eyes.
Make sure you follow the treatment plan so you and your doctor can find out what medicines work best for you. Once we find the right medicine, or combination of medicines, it will likely work well for you for many years.
Do glaucoma medicines have side effects?
Sometimes. If you think your medicine is causing problems, call your eye doctor to let them know. If one kind of medicine bothers you, your doctor may change it to a different kind.
Call 888-ASK-DUKE (888-275-3853) to learn more about eye health or the glaucoma services available at one of Duke Eye Center’s Durham, Raleigh, or Cary, North Carolina offices.