Glaucoma Tunnel

Answers to the most common questions about glaucoma, ranging from early detection to eye drop treatments, to help keep your eyes healthy and worries at bay.

Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the United States. That fact can send shivers down even the heartiest spine. Any ailment that can affect your vision, oft considered the most important of the five senses, can seem scary, and rightly so. As our parents always told us growing up, to understand something is to take the fear away. So, let’s break down the aspects of glaucoma to better gain an understanding of this ailment and take the ‘OMG’ out of glaucoma.
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In an unusual twist in the world of medications, there is one drug with a side effect that many people actually welcome. The drug is Xalatan ophthalmic solution, a glaucoma medication.  Glaucoma is caused by high eye pressure, brought on by clogged drainage channels in the eye resulting in fluid build up. If the increased pressure causes damage to the optic nerve, you have glaucoma. Left untreated, it can cause blindness, but the good news is it is easily treated with glaucoma eye drops.

The Xalatan ophthalmic drops used to treat glaucoma contain latanoprost. Latanoprost was developed by Columbia University researchers in 1996. It works by helping to open the eye’s drainage channels, releasing the pressure. After more than 13 years of experience in patients, latanoprost eye drops have a well-established safety record. One noted side effect is of particular interest, however – latanoprost can cause eyelashes to grow longer, thicker and darker. The glaucoma drops can also darken the pigment of the iris, changing eye color. The change in color occurs gradually, over several months to years of using glaucoma medication, and may be permanent. This effect is mostly seen in patients with mixed colored eyes, such as green-brown, yellow-brown or blue/grey-brown. It’s rarely seen in patients with solid blue, gray, green, or brown eyes.

Glaucoma affects over 2 million Americans, but, frightening, half of them don’t even know they have it. Left untreated, it can cause irreversible vision loss. There are no noticeable symptoms at first, so it is important to have regular and complete eye exams – especially if you are at risk. Risk factors include being over the age of 50 and a family history of the condition. Glaucoma is more common in African Americans and Hispanics. You should have your eyes examined every 2 to 4 years if you are between 45 and 65 years old, and every 1 to 2 years if you are over 65.

Glaucoma is a lifelong condition. Once your eye pressure is under control, it is important to use your glaucoma eye drops every day to keep your ocular hypertension in check. One way to save on the cost of having to use an eye drop daily is to buy generic Xalatan. Generic Xalatan is manufactured with the same active ingredients, and is equally effective. You can save even more by purchasing it online from a discount Canadian pharmacy. Drug prices in Canada are considerably lower than they are in the US.

The unexpected discovery that the use of Xalatan eye drops could lead to luscious lashes has resulted in its being approved to treat alopecia areata, a condition which causes eyelashes to fall out, and has led companies in the beauty industry to scramble to find products similar to glaucoma treatments to market for eyelash growth.