If my dad is already blind, what happens if he doesn’t take his glaucoma medication?
OCT 02, 2019
Question:
My elderly dad is already completely blind due to glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa. He also now has dementia and is refusing to take his eye drops because he has forgotten he has glaucoma and doesn't believe he needs the drops. What are the consequences of not taking medication if he is already blind?
Answer:
If he is already completely blind from glaucoma, there is no more vision to lose. However, often when I get this question, there is actually some vision remaining, perhaps the ability to see light or hand movements, and that little bit of vision could be lost.
Also, if someone stops their drops and the pressure rises very high, they will sometimes have discomfort. Finally, chronic uncontrolled high pressure can lead to changes or damage to the front of the eye that can cause sharp pain.