Glaucoma eye drops

For most patients, pressure-lowering drops are the first step in glaucoma treatment. Their job is to reduce intraocular pressure, either by decreasing the production of the eye's internal fluid or by improving its drainage.

There are different families of drops — prostaglandin analogs, beta-blockers, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, alpha-2 agonists, among others — and sometimes more than one needs to be combined to reach the target pressure set for each patient.

Some local side effects — redness, mild stinging, changes in eyelash color or growth — are common and generally not a risk, but should be discussed at your visit to see if adjusting treatment makes sense.