Eyes pressure

  : Hi                                                                                             What are normal limits of eye pressure for a male of 45 years?What is better,being on low or high side of normal eye pressure?Thank you.George
  I am a 49 year old female diagnosed with narrow-angle glaucoma.  I am scheduled for a laser iridotomy.  My last IOP was 25 and my mother has OPEN-angle glaucoma.  My concern is about the increased risk of developing the open-angle after the laser surgery.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glaucoma represents a large group of diseases which damages to the optic nerve and the visual field.  Narrow angle glaucoma and open angle glaucoma are two types of glaucoma.  
In narrow angle glaucoma, people are at risk of developing an "acute attack" of glaucoma.  This can cause pain in the eye, decreased vision, halos around lights, red eye and a pupil which does not constrict.  Sometimes, the attack can be difficult to notice.  During an attack, the eye pressure goes very high and can damage the eye.
In the most common type of narrow angle glaucoma, an iridotomy can significantly decrease the risk of an acute attack of glaucoma and can help control elevated eye pressure by opening the angle.  It is better to have an open angle than a very narrow angle.  Some people with narrow angle glaucoma continue to have pressure problems after the iridotomy.  This is called mixed mechanism glaucoma and means that even after opening the eye drain, it is still not functioning properly.  It is difficult to predict who may develop this condition.  If there is scarring in the area of the drain before it is opened, pressure problems may also presist.
An iridotomy is generally a very safe and effective procedure.  There can be some rare side effects such as inflammation and eye pressure spikes.  It is important to discuss with your ophthalmologist the risks, benefits and alternatives to any procedure prior to having it performed.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D. - NI
* Keyword: glaucoma, eye pressure, ocular hypertension, narrow angle