Glaucoma drugs can cause impotence

Men who take prescribed medication for the treatment of glaucoma can suffer the risk of becoming impotent. According to Dr Terrence Allen, Ophthalmologist of the Caribbean Eye Institute, hypertensive drugs called “beta-blockers” used in the treatment of the disease can have side effects on victims of glaucoma. “These drugs can also decrease the heart rate, potentiate asthma and can make the eye lashes grow long,” Dr Allen said at Kappa Drugs customer education seminar on Glaucoma, hosted jointly with Pfizer at the Chamber of Commerce, Westmoorings, yesterday.

Glaucoma, Dr Allen said, is the most common cause of blindness in the world adding that it was imperative that persons who have a family history of the disease should visit their ophthalmolgoist or optometrist for early detection. “It is a silent disease. It is symptomless, you experience no visual problems until you feel pain and that is when it’s extremely advanced. Glaucoma is incurable, but can be controlled.” Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, leading to vision loss or blindness. He said that persons over the age of 50 are at a high risk of getting the disease. Other high risk factors include the use of any form of steroids whether oral, by means of inhalation, “puffing,” the use of dermatology creams, someone with diabetes, and someone with previous eye injury.

“The diagnosis of the disease is multi-factorial. We look at your history which can mean that you have a six-fold increase of developing glaucoma. Then we do an exam of the eye to determine visual acuity, followed by a special investigation which would lead to treatment whether by medication or surgery.” Dr Allen urged those with the disease that compliance with medication and monitoring of their condition are essential. He said that while medical treatment maintains normal eye pressure, surgery creates a new channel for fluid in the eye that causes eye pressure to drain out. A risk involved in laser surgery, he added, is blindness.