Eye Drops
Your doctor may prescribe eye drops as an initial treatment for glaucoma. Since small amounts of eye drops are absorbed into the bloodstream, your doctor will consider all your current medications before deciding what prescription is right for you.
There are many types of eye drops that help to lower intraocular pressure (IOP), and they work in a variety of ways. For example,
- Prostaglandin analogs open a new passage to allow the aqueous humor (fluid) to exit the eye.
- Beta blockers lower IOP by decreasing the overall production of aqueous humor.
Other eye drops decrease the production of intraocular fluid or increase drainage. Many patients require more than one medication to control their IOP, and their doctor may prescribe a combination drop (more than one type of eye drop mixed together).