I am wondering if anyone had the back of their eyes tested with a machine at eye doctor and it basically says you have glaucoma despite being young and having no other risk factors. I read Dr. Hauser put out on his website (patient case studies) that Eagle Syndrome can reduce blood flow to back of eye. I think this is what is happening, which is why the eye doctor was so confused about the results. It is my left eye that is affected and more painful to turn head to the left. I am hopefully going to find the right surgeon soon to do something about this. I think Cognetti in Philadelphia is highly regarded and takes my insurance, so we will see what happens.
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Sorry to hear about the glaucoma @jobby99 . I have read the bit by Dr. Hauser as well. I think ES can reduce blood flow to the eye or cause too much depending on what the styloids are compressing. Have you received any imaging yet of your head/neck such as a CT?
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Whoops, just saw that you’ve been diagnosed in your profile, so you’ve definitely got imaging done lol
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Still waiting on insurance, but will have CT soon. Just collecting all these odd symptoms that seem to fall under Eagle Syndrome, because I can not find any other causation. I am really trying hard not to turn my neck very far. I even have a neck brace I can wear when watching TV.
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Ohhh gotcha. I too have turned to wearing a neck brace every now and again and it helps sometimes. Sort of a trade off though because you worry about neck atrophy and how that could contribute to things. What are your symptoms?
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I’m sorry to hear that! Members have had visual symptoms & we know that IJV compression can cause increased intracranial pressure which in turn can compress the optic nerve & cause vision issues, but I’d not heard of glaucoma being an issue too…I guess if the ICA is perhaps compressed by the styloids that could in turn lead to reduced flow into the ophthalmic artery?
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Hello,
I am actually an Optometrist and a Glaucoma specialist. (Currently undergoing my own journey with ES). Talk about fate in finding you huh?. I actually have a family hx of Glaucoma, and in the last 2 yrs of having ES symptoms my intraocular pressure has shot from 20mm HG to 30!
I know the ES is currently having an impact on my blood supply, not only can I feel the pulsating pain in my throat but my resting heart rate is over 110 bpm. My styloidectomy is on the 25th. I will update you if my IOP decreased post sx.
One thing I want to inform you of, is increased intraocular pressure is NOT a diagnosis for glaucoma. Glaucoma can only be diagnosed when there is progressive tissue loss in your optic nerve ( You will need to obtain and OCT scan of the ONH and RNFL with GPA analysis to assess this) Increased IOP is only a risk factor. There is such a thing as Normal Tension glaucoma where you still have optic nerve tissue loss with normal IOPS. ( We want IOP to to be less than 20). In other cases you can have ocular hypertension ( high IOPs) and NO glaucoma.
This condition is pretty complex and to be honest we are not even sure what causes it. If you have tissue loss i would assess lowering iop drops with your doctor to ensure no progression. Ultimately if you can fix the blood flow, you could eliminate the condition. Higher risk factors for this condition include diseases that affect the blood flow, family hx, conditions like anemia and diabetes.
Another thing to note a large nerve does not mean glaucoma, again just a risk factor. However, at all end stage cases all nerves will be larger. ( CD cup to disc ratio)
I can sadly assure you no optometrist is aware of ES. I’m learning more and more and look forward to using this experience to provided better care to my patients. Wishing you all the best.
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@vcp02 - Thank you for the really helpful information re: glaucoma. It’s great news that you’ll be able to educate others in your profession about ES & how it can affect the eyes.
Your elevated heart rate could be related to your vagus nerve being irritated by your styloids. I had heart rate & BP symptoms related to ES which resolved once my styloids were removed. I hope that will be the case for you, too.
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I’ve had a lot of issues with my eyes, when you get your imaging this might help.
papilledemaquestoins.pdf (692.7 KB)
Hi there, I presented with glaucoma but no symptoms. It was finally decided although the optic nerves looked like I should have glaucoma, it was a congenital defect. Hope this helps.
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Thanks for this info, I have already added it to my office records. I have a ton of cases regarding pseudo/papilledema. Many of whom are forced into a spinal tap or shunts. Neuro imaging here takes MONTHS 6-12 to obtain. This may explain the many findings with “normal” results.
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Anatomical variations of the nerve is absolutely a thing. Stability is key. Baseline OCT will help ensure there no changes later in life.
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Thanks for that info @vcp02 , we do get asked about vision changes & eye conditions at times…I hope that ES is something you can spread the word about amongst your profession! Where are you with your ES journey, have you seen someone with experience?
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It took 2.5 years to find this diagnosis. It was confirmed just 2 weeks ago when I had my CT angio done with Dr. Middleton in Florida. My sx is set in just a few days, July 25th and 30th with Dr. Osborne. He is quite the distance but I would HIGHLY recommend a virtual consult. I cannot express the emotions I felt talking to someone who actually understood the trauma patients endure with ES.
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Hoping it goes well for you 
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Yes, I don’t have official diagnosis but the cornea specialist actually said the word glaucoma to me. He didn’t really believe the imaging since I had a good vision test earlier in the appointment. It is just the way you have to do forward head posture when the machine is scanning the back of your eye may cause reduced blood flow or other problems. That is my theory anyways. I get visual disturbances a lot these days and have to keep my neck in neutral position for it to go away.
Do you think it would be more financially wise to go to providers nearby to at least get all the imaging before consulting with the handful of surgeons who routinely treat this? I know the fees can be around $300 for a virtual consult, which could add up. My imaging fees add up to $150 - $350 per test depending on what is done. Has anyone tried to get insurance to pay out of network providers as in network (“gap coverage”) since most ENT do not routinely treat this even if they are aware of it?