Clipping Board » Drug Poisoning ─ It is necessary to be aware of the toxic side effects before taking medication.
Children can also develop glaucoma! A seven-year-old boy who took steroid medication for three years to treat allergies experienced a rise in intraocular pressure, leading to glaucoma. Ophthalmologists warn not to overlook the potential harm steroid drugs can cause to vision.
The seven-year-old boy, who has had an allergic constitution since childhood, often suffered from itchy skin and sneezing. To treat his allergy symptoms, he took steroid medication continuously for three years, unexpectedly causing his intraocular pressure to spike abnormally and resulting in glaucoma, leaving his parents deeply regretful.
Dr. Lü Dawen, Director of Ophthalmology at Tri-Service General Hospital, stated that the number of people with allergies in the country is increasing. While steroid medication can alleviate allergy symptoms, long-term use may lead to glaucoma and cataracts, which should not be taken lightly.
Additionally, high myopia is one of the main causes of glaucoma. Many office workers overuse their eyes, staring at computers at work and TVs at home, neglecting eye care until they experience blurred vision, severe eye pain, and narrowed visual fields, prompting them to seek medical attention in a panic.
Dr. Lü pointed out that outpatient observations reveal that 30% of young glaucoma patients already have more than 50% visual field damage at their initial diagnosis, indicating severe vision impairment and missing the golden period for early glaucoma treatment.
Dr. Ke Meilan, Director of Glaucoma at Hsinchu Hospital, expressed concern that most people in the country have insufficient understanding of glaucoma. It is estimated that at least 250,000 people in Taiwan are unaware they have glaucoma, making them a potential ticking time bomb for blindness.
Parents often underestimate the side effects of steroid drugs, and even doctors overlook the potential harm steroids can cause to the eyes. An internist with nasal allergies used a steroid-containing nasal spray every morning and, at just 42 years old, developed severe cataracts in both eyes. Only after replacing his lenses with artificial ones did he regain his vision.
The key to treating glaucoma lies in effectively controlling intraocular pressure and patient compliance with medication. Only by controlling intraocular pressure can normal vision be maintained and further deterioration prevented. Unfortunately, many patients have poor medication compliance.
A 24-year-old student, Fan, shared his painful experience with medication. He discovered he had glaucoma in the fifth grade but paid little attention to it as it caused no discomfort. It wasn't until his sophomore year in college that he started using intraocular pressure-lowering medication. However, due to his busy schedule, he often forgot to use the eye drops, and his intraocular pressure was not properly controlled. Now, more than 90% of his visual field is damaged.
Starting September 1st this year, the National Health Insurance included a new generation of glaucoma combination drugs in its coverage. Previously, patients had to use eye drops two to three times a day, but now only once a day is needed to effectively lower and control intraocular pressure, which is a significant boon for glaucoma patients.
Source: http://health. chinatimes. com/ contents. aspx? cid=1,18& id=2486
Young Age Glaucoma: Side Effects of Steroid Medication
The seven-year-old boy, who has had an allergic constitution since childhood, often suffered from itchy skin and sneezing. To treat his allergy symptoms, he took steroid medication continuously for three years, unexpectedly causing his intraocular pressure to spike abnormally and resulting in glaucoma, leaving his parents deeply regretful.
Dr. Lü Dawen, Director of Ophthalmology at Tri-Service General Hospital, stated that the number of people with allergies in the country is increasing. While steroid medication can alleviate allergy symptoms, long-term use may lead to glaucoma and cataracts, which should not be taken lightly.
Additionally, high myopia is one of the main causes of glaucoma. Many office workers overuse their eyes, staring at computers at work and TVs at home, neglecting eye care until they experience blurred vision, severe eye pain, and narrowed visual fields, prompting them to seek medical attention in a panic.
Dr. Lü pointed out that outpatient observations reveal that 30% of young glaucoma patients already have more than 50% visual field damage at their initial diagnosis, indicating severe vision impairment and missing the golden period for early glaucoma treatment.
Dr. Ke Meilan, Director of Glaucoma at Hsinchu Hospital, expressed concern that most people in the country have insufficient understanding of glaucoma. It is estimated that at least 250,000 people in Taiwan are unaware they have glaucoma, making them a potential ticking time bomb for blindness.
Parents often underestimate the side effects of steroid drugs, and even doctors overlook the potential harm steroids can cause to the eyes. An internist with nasal allergies used a steroid-containing nasal spray every morning and, at just 42 years old, developed severe cataracts in both eyes. Only after replacing his lenses with artificial ones did he regain his vision.
The key to treating glaucoma lies in effectively controlling intraocular pressure and patient compliance with medication. Only by controlling intraocular pressure can normal vision be maintained and further deterioration prevented. Unfortunately, many patients have poor medication compliance.
A 24-year-old student, Fan, shared his painful experience with medication. He discovered he had glaucoma in the fifth grade but paid little attention to it as it caused no discomfort. It wasn't until his sophomore year in college that he started using intraocular pressure-lowering medication. However, due to his busy schedule, he often forgot to use the eye drops, and his intraocular pressure was not properly controlled. Now, more than 90% of his visual field is damaged.
Starting September 1st this year, the National Health Insurance included a new generation of glaucoma combination drugs in its coverage. Previously, patients had to use eye drops two to three times a day, but now only once a day is needed to effectively lower and control intraocular pressure, which is a significant boon for glaucoma patients.
Source: http://health. chinatimes. com/ contents. aspx? cid=1,18& id=2486