halos around light bulb

[sarah43]

i have had squint (bimeial recession) surgery 2 weeks ago all seems to have gone fine. Didnt get double vidion or anything now some weeks on i have been getting headaches and today noticed coloured halos around light bulbs. 3 days ago had my post op check and all seemed ok(no cataract) what do you think this is and should i be worried about it or is it common after this surgery.Thanks

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

It is not common, it is not typical of strabismus, call your surgeon and ask for advice.

JCH III MD

[sarah43]

Went to Doctors who asked the optholmogist department at the hospital. They(Specialists) dont seem to know what is causing the coloured halos i have an appointment to check eyes again in a few days they didnt think it was an emergencyas im not getting serious blurred vision, flashes or double visionetc . they thought maybe i had something in them but dont feel anything in them. I do feel eye pain - the eyeball itself and the halos actully went away one day and now have come back. i see the halos looking through both eyes.Thye not as strong as seen on the first day. Any ideas as to what is causing them??

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

No nothing comes to mind. I would think a visit to the eye surgeon is in order. JCH IIIMD

[sarah43]

Hi went for re assessment and eye pressure and and backof eye examined. Pressure was at 50 in both eyes-. Told Average between 10-21. Was injected to bring pressure down. went down to normal at15?.HAve been told will need laser treatment for the Glaucoma. Was told no link with the operation(it went well) and would have got the glacaoma anyway. is this true?    

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Google and use the search feature here and look up "angle closure glaucoma". It occurs in farsighted people with short eyes. Glad you went back in as advised. The procedure is laser iridotomy. If others in your family are farsighted let them know of your problema s it can be hereditary.

JCH III MD

[sarah43]

HI, yeah im glad i went too thanks! Could have lost sight apparently...Have mentioned to family they getting checked out tomorrw. Is it unusual for someone at my age at 28 to get because when i typed my symptoms in google glaucoma kept coming up yet when i rng the professionals they didnt know what it was.do you think they should have picked it up??/ Im not far sighted and never have worn glasses- generally i have small eyes(size). It doesnt seem to have affected my vision even though the pressure was so high?
Quick question can the pressure in eye increase as much as mine has within a week.  

Thanks for promp reply and i will google  the above.
thanks again

[sarah43]

HI again reading up about the laser treatment is it a permanent fix and if not how often would the laser be done!. It doesnt seem to be from what i read and would one also have to contine taking the drops.Also if i always had the condition and its just surfaced should the surgeon have seen this while operating! thanks in advanve

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Are you on Topamax? That can cause it. If so tell your MDs right away as it requires stopping topamax and not doing the laser.

Yes it is very unusual for a young person to have this problem without being extremely farsighted and having thick glasses.

If all the problem is angle closure then the laser PI usually cures the problem and rarely does the laser need to be repeated. However people with angle closure glaucoma also have a higher subsequent incidence of open angle glaucoma.

You may want to eventually get a consult with a glaucoma Eye MD specialist.

JCH III MD

[sarah43]

After the squint surgry was put on maxitrol 1 drop 3 times a day. when i experienced the halos and my eye pressure was checked. i was given meds through inject iv to bring it back down hour later was checked and down to 15 he seemed happy with that. I was then sent home and given 2 tablets of acestz...(cant remeber exact name) to take that evening at 10 and then 12, maxidex 1 drop 4 times a day, Timolo(timoptol) 1 drop 2 times a day and Xalatoan 1 dropat night(al in both eyes)Told to discntinue the maxitrol.
I was experiencing tingling feeling in face consultant said itwas a side effect of the injection given and to take only 1 of the tablet acestzd(name?spelling) at 12 midnight and then 1 in the morning instead.  I went in thenext day and pressur was ok andwas told to just takexalatan and tioptol.
He said he would book us in for the laser treatment for next week didnt really explain much about it said there was no side effect and was painless. He kept saying its to bring pressure down he didnt mention the word glaaucoma until i asked him. Even then he didnt say what type.
Ive never seen the consultantwho did my squint surgery i feel he is avoiding seeing me ive had 3 visists each time with differt consultats. I know they tried to contack him on one occasion but couldnt get hold of him. Could he have done something during surgry. Ive just not ciome to terms with this ivenever had any problems with my eyes before other then the squint. I know hospitals are really busy places but i dont feel i can talk to them and its not been a vry pleasanr experiece.Anyway what do you think about  all this are the drops ok what would happen if i forgot to take the dropswould pressur rise again???? Thanks again

[sarah43]

Could the maxitrol drops have caused the high pressure and glacauma? it does say on the information leaflet of the drops it is a side effect. is it possible pressure wasnt checked properly it was within  a day that i started seeing the halos.  Also if it is something ive always had from birth and just surfaced as one of the consultant said then shouldnt  the consultant have seen it in the tests done pre-operation.Also somewhere i read that when checked by doc they should be able to tell by the shape of the iris or pupil is that true?/?/

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Where do you live? I've never heard of a surgeon that was too busy to follow their own surgical patients. You've seen three different ophthalmologists?  They "couldn't get a hold of him".  If you live in the USA you have reason to demand to see the original surgeon and get some straight answers. If you live in a country with socialized medicine it appears you have to take what they feel like giving you.

Maxitrol has a steroid in it and steroids can cause "steroid glaucoma" but it rarely goes that high of IOP and it would not be treated with laser.

You cannot always identify the eye at risk for angle closure by the iris, pupil or shape.

Angle closure glaucoma is not a complication of eye muscle surgery unless the pupil might have been dilated as part of the procedure.

JCH II MD

[sarah43]

Live in the UK,(have seen 4 different consultants/surgeons altogether so far) i dont even know what type it is when asked if it was glaucoma he said yes a type of glaucome but didnt say what type. No info on glaucoma given just described as fluid retention in eyes. Given 1 sided sheet on laser treatment in general- which doesnt mentioan the hole they mould make in iris. Why would they dilate the  pupil in surgery?and would that have been necessary? The last surgeon/consultant i went to said  he works closely with the consultant who did my op he even went to consult him about the laser treatment but i didnt see him. I find it strange he didnt wnt to or was unable to follow me up. Would it be harmful or sight threatening if i didnt get it done next week? Iwant to see a glaucoma specialist (like you suggested) which would probably take weeks. from the drops does it sound it was appropriate.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Normally the pupil would not be dilated for strabismus surgery. Very rarely if there is concern that a stitch in the muscles went too deep and may have penetrated into the eye then the pupil is dilated to look inside and see if that is the case.

If you have angle closure glaucoma then the sooner the laser opening is put in the better. It is not a difficult procedure to do.

We receive many complaints from the UK about the National Health Service: delays, difficulty in getting tests, trouble seeing specialists and consultants, lack of preventive care such as routine mammograms, and seeing different doctors each visit.

JCH III MD

[sarah43]

i guess wont have time to see specialist if best to do straight away? if it is closure glaucoma then what is the proceduer, risks, complications, recovery long term. will i have to wear dark glasses?will i need just the one procedure and would i have to continue taking the drops im on timolol and xalaton? Woul ibe able to drive? So would you just say it is pott luck that i have it even though im so young dont wear glasses or had any problems with sight, no family history with this. Should i accept i just have it and know ones to blame.(apart fron genes of parents)

[sarah43]

im sick of being prodded in the eye. Could it be that trauma to the eye from surgery is causing the glaucoma.Any chance the pressure will settle in time without any intervention. My eyes look a lot better alighned but i wish i hadnt had the surgery done maybe i wouldnt have this glaucoma condition! should have just left them alone.

[sarah43]

Been diagnosed with glaucoma -Plateau iris. Will be havibng laser treatment for this Do you know more about the type what it involved and whether it is safe(been told it is) Is this something the specialists should have picked up during a general axmination of the  eyes eg slit lamp. Only picked up when i complaind of the halos and headaches. The pressure was at 50 i am 28 have been told unlikely to have done damage to eyesight as we lose many caplillaries or vessels (or something like that anyway).Is the optic nurve only affected when the smaller nurves are damaged or lost??How long would you say it would take pressure in eye to increase from normal to 50. I am on timoptol and xalatan at moment.