Why Is Cosopt Eye Drop Used for Low Tension Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease that results in the loss of tissue making up the optic nerve, which carries visual information to the brain. This is often associated with increased eye pressure, but some people can develop glaucoma without having measurements of increased eye pressure. This type of glaucoma is known as low-tension or normal-tension glaucoma.

Glaucoma

• Glaucoma has many forms. Some glaucomas result while the drainage system of the eye is still open. These forms are known as open-angle glaucomas. Some glaucomas result from the drainage system of the eye closing, and are known as closed-angle glaucomas. Low-tension glaucoma is an open-angle glaucoma.

Measuring Eye Pressure

• Your eye doctor may measure your eye pressure using one of several different methods, such as non-contact tonometry (also known as the air puff test) or Goldmann tonometry, which uses a blue-filtered light as well as yellow fluorescein drops in the eye.

Treatment

• If the pressure inside the eye is never measured at a higher than normal level, but the optic nerve still shows signs of damage from glaucoma, the disease is defined as low-tension glaucoma. Low-tension glaucoma is still treated in the same manner as all glaucomas, which is by further reducing pressure inside the eye.

Cosopt

• Cosopt is a pressure-lowering eyedrop that contains two active ingredients: a beta blocker named timolol and a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor named dorzolamide. These ingredients work by separate mechanisms to reduce the production of fluid inside the eye.

Considerations

• If your eye doctor has diagnosed you with glaucoma, he will want to see you regularly to measure eye pressure as well as perform other tests of disease progression. Reduction of eye pressure, even in people with low-tension glaucoma, is a proven method for reducing progression of the disease.