New to apap and glaucoma

[Happyeyes]

Hi Everyone,

I have read the threads on here about pap machines raising eye pressure significantly and some studies where they describe the pressure difference but not what pap machine pressures were. Has anyone with glaucoma had it progress and been told or have it suggested the use of a pap machine may or did cause / contributed to vision loss?  I am new to apap (started on jan 9) and was diagnosed as a glaucoma suspect in july 23.  Totally terrified to loose vision esp if I could have prevented it by not using a machine. Thank you for sharing your story.

[PaulaO2]

I've had high pressure in one eye for many years. The pressure has fluctuated but not resulted in glaucoma. For me, there is a difference between the left and right eye retinal nerve images but no damages yet. APAP has had no influence on it. My eye doc and I talk about it every time, though.

Talk to your eye doc about it. Get your eyes checked yearly (or more often if advised). Go to a doc that does the imaging.

[EddyDee]

My opthalmologist, who specializes in glaucoma, tells me there is no clear evidence about any connection between CPAP and OAG.

There are reports that indicate a positive effect and others that indicate a negative effect, but all the studies can best be characterized as anecdotal.

Therefore I personally have decided not to worry about it.

[PaulaO2]

Exactly. I did find some articles that determined going without CPAP can make glaucoma worse or increase the pressure to cause glaucoma.

[Happyeyes]

Could you share those studies showing going without can be bad for glaucoma?

[PaulaO2]

I did a Google search for "sleep apnea and glaucoma" and another for "CPAP and glaucoma".

[G. Szabo]

My recollection is, that I have seen at least one clinical study verifying the significant increase of IOP after using the CAPAP instrument overnight. And the high IOP is one of the causes of glaucoma. I know a case when glaucoma was developed during a few years of CPAP treatment and the eye specialist was baffled. 

It is difficult to find some systematic study between CPAP instrument usage and the progression because glaucoma progression is slow and the doctors have to agree some quantitative method to measure its progression.  My understanding that it is tricky. This is the very reason that you do not want switch eye specialist often. Also, you have to consider the instrument pressure setting which is different for different patients.

Hence, the most convincing evidence is the positive correlation between CPAP usafe and IOP. Which is a relay bad news.

[G. Szabo]

Hence, the most convincing evidence is the positive correlation between CPAP usafe and IOP. Which is a relay bad news.

Correctly: Hence, the most convincing evidence is the positive correlation between CPAP usage and IOP. Which is a relay bad news.