What Are Topical Prostaglandins, When Are They Used To Treat Glaucoma, And What Are The Risks/Benefits?

Aug. 24, 2009— -- Question: What are topical prostaglandins, when are they used to treat glaucoma, and what are the risks/benefits?

Answer: Prostaglandins is another type of class of medications that we use. Often prostaglandins reduce the pressure by 30 percent in the eye, and the side effects include redness or hyperemia, and long thick lashes, and sometimes some fine hair growth around the eye or hyperpigmentation. Darker skin can also occur around the eye. But what's really great about the prostaglandins is that you only need to take them once a day, and so compliance is much easier, and if it can reduce your pressure and somebody actually takes the medications when they're supposed to, then we think that is healthier for the optic nerve and we can stabilize the glaucoma.