Can I go blind because of cold medicine or diet pills I took inadvertently?
Feb 03, 2025
As interest in low-speed aging and wellness increases, interest in planning a diet or purchasing related drugs is increasing in the new year for health care. In addition, the number of people taking cold medicines is increasing due to the recent prevalence of flu, and certain ingredients among the drugs people commonly take can increase intraocular pressure, so glaucoma patients need to check the ingredients of the drug before taking it, and they should be careful even if they do not suffer from glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a disease that gradually narrows the field of vision and can eventually lead to blindness as the optic nerve is damaged due to various causes such as increased intraocular pressure.
Inside our eyes are waterproof, a liquid that keeps eye pressure constant, and when excessively generated or released passages are blocked, intraocular pressure rises, and glaucoma occurs when the optic nerve is compressed or blood flow to the optic nerve is disrupted.
It is important to continuously manage intraocular pressure because there are few self-awareness symptoms in the early stages and the visual field narrows from the periphery of the eye only after more than 30% of the optic nerve is damaged.
Even if it is an easily available drug on the market, there is a possibility that intraocular pressure may increase depending on the ingredients, so if you are a glaucoma patient whose intraocular pressure management is important, you should pay attention to taking it. Examples of drugs that can increase intraocular pressure include ▲ diet drugs containing topiramate ▲ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment drugs containing methylphenidate ▲ cold drugs containing antihistamines ▲ steroids.
Of these, topiramate components used in diet pills are a kind of anticonvulsant that can cause ciliary edema, the inner structure of our eyes. As a result, the passage of waterproofing narrows and prevents waterproofing from escaping, which can lead to increased intraocular pressure, and symptoms similar to those of closed-angle glaucoma, such as poor myopia and out of focus on the eyes, may appear. Most recover when they stop taking it, but for accurate diagnosis, it is important to specifically describe the drugs and symptoms they are taking during ophthalmology visits.
Even if you do not suffer from glaucoma, it is possible that symptoms similar to those of glaucoma may appear when taking antihistamines or anticonvulsants. In addition, not only adults but also children take ADHD drugs because they are good for concentration, but it is important not to take them indiscriminately, and if the anterior angle, which is the path of waterproofing, is narrow, attention should be paid to the ingredient.
Jeong Jong-jin, a specialist at the Glaucoma Center at Kim Ophthalmology Hospital, advised, `In fact, people often visit the hospital with elevated intraocular pressure after taking diet pills, but it can be difficult to make an accurate diagnosis because the symptoms are similar to those of obstructive glaucoma.' `Most people recover if they stop taking the drugs that cause them, but it is important to inform their doctor about the drugs they are currently taking as well as the drugs related to eye diseases when visiting the hospital because they may be mistaken for acute obstructive angle attacks and laser treatment.'
Glaucoma is a disease that gradually narrows the field of vision and can eventually lead to blindness as the optic nerve is damaged due to various causes such as increased intraocular pressure.
Inside our eyes are waterproof, a liquid that keeps eye pressure constant, and when excessively generated or released passages are blocked, intraocular pressure rises, and glaucoma occurs when the optic nerve is compressed or blood flow to the optic nerve is disrupted.
It is important to continuously manage intraocular pressure because there are few self-awareness symptoms in the early stages and the visual field narrows from the periphery of the eye only after more than 30% of the optic nerve is damaged.
Even if it is an easily available drug on the market, there is a possibility that intraocular pressure may increase depending on the ingredients, so if you are a glaucoma patient whose intraocular pressure management is important, you should pay attention to taking it. Examples of drugs that can increase intraocular pressure include ▲ diet drugs containing topiramate ▲ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment drugs containing methylphenidate ▲ cold drugs containing antihistamines ▲ steroids.
Of these, topiramate components used in diet pills are a kind of anticonvulsant that can cause ciliary edema, the inner structure of our eyes. As a result, the passage of waterproofing narrows and prevents waterproofing from escaping, which can lead to increased intraocular pressure, and symptoms similar to those of closed-angle glaucoma, such as poor myopia and out of focus on the eyes, may appear. Most recover when they stop taking it, but for accurate diagnosis, it is important to specifically describe the drugs and symptoms they are taking during ophthalmology visits.
Even if you do not suffer from glaucoma, it is possible that symptoms similar to those of glaucoma may appear when taking antihistamines or anticonvulsants. In addition, not only adults but also children take ADHD drugs because they are good for concentration, but it is important not to take them indiscriminately, and if the anterior angle, which is the path of waterproofing, is narrow, attention should be paid to the ingredient.
Jeong Jong-jin, a specialist at the Glaucoma Center at Kim Ophthalmology Hospital, advised, `In fact, people often visit the hospital with elevated intraocular pressure after taking diet pills, but it can be difficult to make an accurate diagnosis because the symptoms are similar to those of obstructive glaucoma.' `Most people recover if they stop taking the drugs that cause them, but it is important to inform their doctor about the drugs they are currently taking as well as the drugs related to eye diseases when visiting the hospital because they may be mistaken for acute obstructive angle attacks and laser treatment.'
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
