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High myopia and traumatic glaucoma

Doctor, I am 23 years old, was born with pathologic myopia with -12.5 in left and -25 in right eye. I am aware of complications of myopia but So far I have not had any complications but I can't stop worrying about potential traumatic glaucoma from a punch to my left eye years ago when I was in 7th standard at about 13 years of age. Since then I have had numerous check ups at a medical school and they haven't seen anything wrong about my eyes save for some Retinal holes. Doctor, Is it true that traumatic glaucoma can develop years after the incident?? I have been really anxious about this issue since I came across someone in real life who developed traumatic glaucoma after a car accident. Please help and respond. Thank you.
Best Answer
233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
If at the time of injury you did not have 'traumatic iritis" or bleeding in the front of the eye "hyphema" you are very unlikely to develop traumatic glaucoma. An Eye MD ophthalmologist can do a test called "gonioscopy" and look into the angle of the eye where fluid drains out. If there is no sign of injury there (called recession of the angle), you can stop worrying.  You do have a real problem and your eyes should be followed by a general comprehensive ophthalmologist eye MD and also a retina Eye MD.  If you have retinal holes they may need closing with laser or cryotherapy.  Obvously you should avoid contact sports, avoid head/eye injury, avoid amusement type rides which whip the head about.  You have a higher than normal need for leading a healthy lifestyle: good diet, non traumatic exercise, maintain healthy weight, do not use nicotine or cannabis in any form, avoid heavy sun exposure.
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Doctor, I don't understand the terms traumatic iritis" or "hyphema, what are the symptoms of these issues, as far as I remember I didn't had any eye issue are per say, but I did feel extremely tired that day and my left eye was swollen for a couple of days. Thanks for your quick response.
Also, I have had a thorough check up including  gonioscopic test at a medical school after the incident, and I don't think the doctors found anything wrong with them as they didn't inform me anything about this, but yes, they did recommend the laser treatment for retinal holes. Also, I don't think if it's an appropriate question or not, but in your vast experience how many high myopes like myself end up developing serious complications!?? Thank you in advance, I am really grateful for your quick response. Best wishes.
Traumatic iritis is inflammation in the eye, it would be treated with steroid drops,  hyphema is blood in the anterior chamber of the eye. If you had any of these you would have been told and treated. If you have had a normal gonioscopy then the chances of traumatic glaucoma are almost mil.  Your question is too general and I cannot give you an exact figure of those that develop retinal detachments, myopic macular degeneration  or other related to high myopia.
Thanks for your response, doctor. It really helped me put my anxieties to ease about this issue, also I have one last query, something I which I am also anxious about, I am actually doing engineering in computer science and I have to spend a lot of time working on screen and being exposed to other digital devices too, will that have any effect on my eyes or condition?? Thanks.
Not in an adult. In young people prolonged near work (computers, phones, reading) has been shown to cause myopia in some and progression in other.  As an adult it should have no effect on your high myopia.
Hello doctor,
I am not able to post a separate question for some reason, so I am asking in the comments.
For someone with pathological high myopia like me, is the routine eye exam after dilation enough to diagnose any other issues related to this degree of myopia. This is the only exam I have regularly at a medical College and they seem to consider my condition Normal for now, even though my eyes have lots of floaters and flashes in my right eye have increased too.
You should see an Eye MD (not a non-MD optometrist),  have early exam through pupils always dilated, and an annual OCT
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Avatar universal
Thats what happened to my right eye - trauma from an object thrown to me by accident hit my right eye while in my early 20s and I was taken to a nearby emergency room at the hospital and the eye had hyphema, looked like it was full of dark liquid, took days for it to clear out.
I had no problems with the eye after it cleared, but after almost 35 years that eye's pressure got higher until it was diagnosed with glaucoma in only that eye. So it took decades to have a long term effect.

I have had regular eye checkups and have had to use two types of eye pressure lowering Rx eyedrops for almost 10 years now.
In contrast my left eye which didn't have any trauma still has excellent normal results on the annual visual field and OCT tests.
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