Glaucoma is a collection of eye diseases that lead to gradual blindness. There may be no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Researchers believe that half of the people who are afflicted by glaucoma may not even know that they have it. This loss of vision is caused by damage to the optic nerve. Till date, there is no definite cure for glaucoma. But, surgery or medication can prevent or slow down any further vision loss. Read on to know more about the types of eye drops for glaucoma.
Most of the eye drops may cause mild irritation. Still, you should continue to apply these eye drops. You can report any problems to your eye doctor. You should immediately consult your eye specialist or GP, if you can’t tolerate the eye irritation. A few eye drops may cause eye allergies. If your eyes become puffy and red, stop administering the eye drops immediately.
Types of Glaucoma Eye Drops
- Beta-blockers: These include Betoptic, Betagen, Teoptic, Nyogel and Timoptol. These type of eye drops minimize the production of eye fluid. These are used once in the morning or twice a day. But they also have adverse effects like asthma.
- Alpha Agonists: These include Iopidine and Alphagen. These also minimize the production of eye fluid. Also, these may improve the flow of fluid out of the eye. They are usually used 2-3 times in a day. Side effects may include generally feeling unwell and a dry mouth.
- Prostaglandin Analogues: These include Travatan, Lumigan and Xalatan. They are used once in a day, generally at night. Some possible side effects may include a pink eye that improves gradually after a few days.
- Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors: These include Azopt and Trusopt. These eyedrops minimize the production of eye fluid. They should be used 2-3 times in a day. Bitter taste in the mouth is one of the possible side effects.
