This article is transcribed by SimpRead, original address iliu.org
During the holidays, an old customer said he had accidentally stepped on the arm of his glasses and broke it, so he made an appointment to have them repaired. The first thing he said when he arrived was: “I almost went blind.” I was stunned, and he continued to say that he was recently diagnosed with acute glaucoma, with an eye pressure exceeding 40 during attacks. The doctor said if he had come later, he wouldn’t have been able to save his eye.
The cause sounds seemingly “trivial” — playing with the phone without turning on the light at night.
1. The Hidden “Vision Thief”
Glaucoma is a very cunning disease. It often appears silently, without pain or irritation. By the time people notice blurred vision or incomplete sight, the optic nerve has already been damaged. Doctors even gave it a name — the “silent thief of sight.”
But glaucoma is not a single disease; it’s a broad category, mainly divided into two types:
- Open-angle glaucoma: the most common, with a slow course; early stages have almost no symptoms, and the visual field gradually narrows;
- Closed-angle glaucoma: acute onset and rapid attack, often accompanied by severe eye pain, headache, blurred vision, seeing rainbow halos around lights, sometimes even nausea and vomiting.
The old customer had the second type — acute angle-closure glaucoma.
2. From “Headache” to “Unable to See Traffic Lights Clearly”
For more than a year recently, he frequently felt headaches, with eye redness when showering or coughing. People with a history of hypertension usually think this is due to “high blood pressure” or “heart strain.” So, he measured his blood pressure, which was normal. The electrocardiogram was also fine. So he took some painkillers himself to suppress the pain.
Until one day while driving, he found he couldn’t see the traffic lights clearly. “I told Li Jie (his wife), something’s wrong with my eyes!” At that moment, he realized the problem was with his eyes.
A hospital examination showed intraocular pressure skyrocketed to over 40 mmHg (normal is generally 10~21). The doctor recommended surgery, but he was hesitant. Later, he found a doctor at a provincial people’s hospital who performed acupuncture on his abdomen. Right after acupuncture, his eye pressure immediately decreased. After a month of acupuncture treatment, his condition has improved significantly, with only a slight visual field defect; the optic nerve may still not be fully recovered.
3. Why Does “Darkness + Phone” Cause Problems?
Many people are surprised when they hear: playing with a phone can cause glaucoma?!
Actually, the key is not the “phone,” but the dark environment. In dim light, our pupils naturally dilate to obtain more light. For people with “shallow anterior chamber” or “narrow angle,” this process causes the iris to bulge forward, blocking the drainage channel of aqueous humor — like a clogged drain. Therefore, aqueous humor cannot discharge, and eye pressure suddenly rises — glaucoma attack.
In other words: “Darkness + pupil dilation” is the fuse, and abnormal anterior chamber structure is the powder keg.
“Lying down to play with the phone” and “watching the screen with the lights off” together provide a perfect triggering environment: monocular staring, dark environment, continuous pupil dilation, plus prolonged fatigue — enough to trigger attacks in high-risk populations.
4. Who Are High-Risk Groups?
The following groups should be especially careful:
- Over 45 years old;
- Have hyperopia (short axial length, shallow anterior chamber);
- Female;
- Have family members diagnosed with glaucoma;
- Have been informed by eye doctors of “shallow anterior chamber” or “narrow angle”;
- Long-term use of certain mydriatic or antidepressant drugs.
Even without symptoms, these people should regularly have intraocular pressure measurements and slit-lamp examinations, preferably adding anterior segment OCT or gonioscopy. Doctors can determine whether your “angle” is wide enough and whether there is a risk of angle closure.
5. What to Do During Acute Attack?
If you experience any of the following symptoms, please go directly to the ophthalmology emergency room:
- Sudden severe eye pain and headache;
- Seeing rainbow halos around lights;
- Blurred or unclear vision;
- Nausea, vomiting, fixed and dilated pupil that glows.
Do not wait, do not take more painkillers. Painkillers only mask symptoms and allow eye pressure to continue rising.
At the hospital, doctors will quickly:
- Administer eye pressure-lowering medication (eye drops, oral or intravenous drugs);
- Perform laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) if necessary, creating an “escape hole” allowing aqueous humor to flow smoothly.
This is a critical step to save the eye. After laser treatment, acute attacks generally will not recur.
6. Prevention: Start Today
- Do not play with your phone in the dark. When browsing on your phone before bed, it’s best to turn on a soft night light to maintain balanced ambient lighting.
- Avoid eye overfatigue. For every 40 minutes of eye use, rest 5–10 minutes and look far away to relax.
- Regular eye check-ups, especially for people over 40, with family history or hyperopia, check eye pressure and anterior chamber angle annually.
- Be cautious with medications. People with glaucoma or narrow angles should consult a doctor before using medications containing pseudoephedrine, antidepressants, or anticholinergics.
- Maintain good sleep and blood circulation. Glaucoma is related to systemic circulation status, so regular daily routines are equally important.
7. A Reminder from an Ordinary Person
The old customer finally said with emotion: “I never thought playing with a phone at night could almost make me blind.” The doctor told him that this time he was lucky; early rescue allowed his vision to recover quickly. But the damaged optic nerve will not regenerate; he must use medication long-term and have regular follow-ups.
Sometimes, disaster is not far from us. It hides in an inconspicuous habit — for example, staring at that small screen in the dark.
In conclusion: Playing with your phone at night will not cause everyone to get glaucoma, but for those at risk, it can indeed be the last straw that breaks the optic nerve. It’s better to learn and prevent in advance than to rescue afterward. A small night light may illuminate not only the screen but also your future.