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64 Insight Magazine Winter 2025 Supporting youIf you have ocular hypertension, you should go for regular checkups. For many people with ocular hypertension, this is enough. It means that, if glaucoma starts to develop, it%u2019s found before there is much damage. You can then start treatment.If an eyecare professional thinks you%u2019re at high risk of developing glaucoma, they might offer you treatment to lower eye pressure. These are the same eye drops and laser treatments used for glaucoma. Treatment halves the risk of going from ocular hypertension to glaucoma within five years, from around 2 in 20 to around 1 in 20.Ocular hypertension does not affect your vision, but it may lead to glaucoma. Glaucoma affects your vision.Primary angle closure and primary angle closure glaucoma are the same thing.%u201dAngle closure is when your eye%u2019s drainage angle narrows or closes. The drainage angle is between the coloured part of your eye (the iris) and the clear window at the front of your eye (the cornea). It%u2019s where the liquid inside your eye (aqueous) drains out. In angle closure, your iris comes forward closing the drainage angle. This may happen slowly or suddenly.As the drainage angle closes, it blocks the drainage channels. This slows or stops aqueous draining out of your eye. Aqueous builds up inside your eye and your eye pressure rises.It%u2019s angle closure glaucoma if this high eye pressure damages your optic nerve. It%u2019s angle closure %u2013 not glaucoma %u2013 if it does not damage your optic nerve.Selective laser trabeculoplasty can treat all types of glaucoma.%u201dSelective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is one of several laser treatments for glaucoma. SLT is often used to treat the UK%u2019s most common glaucoma: primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). It may also be used to treat some other variants of open angle glaucoma. In open angle glaucoma, your eye%u2019s drainage channels (the trabecular meshwork) do not work well. SLT helps them work better.But if you have angle closure glaucoma, the problem is different: your iris is blocking your drainage channels. SLT will not help. You%u2019ll need a different treatment such as laser iridotomy to push your iris away from your drainage channels.%u201c%u201c