Alphagan : Patient Homepage

Glossary

allergic conjunctivitis: the eye's reaction to allergy-causing substances like pollen and dander. It usually includes redness, tearing, and itching.¹

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aqueous humor: a transparent fluid occupying the space between the crystalline lens and the cornea of the eye²

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chronic: marked by long duration, by frequent recurrence over a long time, and often by slowly progressing seriousness: not acute²

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contraindicated: any special symptom or circumstance that renders the use of a remedy or the carrying out of a procedure inadvisable, usually because of risk³

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drainage: the act or process of drawing off fluids from a cavity or wound by means of suction or gravity²

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glaucoma: a disease of the eye marked by increased pressure within the eyeball that can result in damage to the optic disk and gradual loss of vision²

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intraocular pressure (IOP): the pressure within the eyeball that gives it a round firm shape and is caused by the aqueous humor and vitreous body²

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laser surgery [for glaucoma]: laser surgery involves either laser treatment or making a cut in the eye to reduce the intraocular pressure (IOP). The type of surgery your doctor recommends will depend on the type and severity of your glaucoma and the general health of your eye. Surgery can help lower pressure when medication is not sufficient, however it cannot reverse vision loss.⁴

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nearsighted: the ability to see near things more clearly than distant ones²

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ocular hypertension: an increase in the pressure in your eyes that is above the range considered normal with no detectable changes in vision or damage to the structure of your eyes. The term is used to distinguish people with elevated pressure from those with glaucoma, an eye disease that causes damage to the optic nerve and vision loss.⁵

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open-angle glaucoma: a progressive disease in which the drainage channel for the aqueous humor composed of the attachment at the edge of the iris and the junction of the sclera and cornea remains open and in which serious reduction in vision occurs only in the advanced stages of the disease due to tissue changes along the drainage channel²

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optic nerve: a bundle of more than 1 million nerve fibers. It connects the retina to the brain⁶

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surgery [for glaucoma]: surgery can help fluid escape from the eye and thereby reduce the pressure. However, surgery is usually reserved for patients whose pressure cannot be controlled with eyedrops, pills, or laser surgery.⁷

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visual acuity: how well you see at various distances⁶

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visual field: the entire expanse of space visible at a given instant without moving the eyes²

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ALPHAGAN^® P ophthalmic solution is approved for the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Important Safety Information
ALPHAGAN^® P (brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution) 0.1% should not be used in patients receiving monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor therapy. Adverse events occurring in approximately 10% to 20% of the subjects included: allergic conjunctivitis, ocular redness, and itching. Adverse events occurring in approximately 5% to 9% included: burning sensation, increased ocular lymph nodules, increased ocular pressure, ocular allergic reaction, dry mouth, and blurred vision.

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_{1. MedlinePlus^® Medical Encyclopedia. US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Web sites. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html. Accessed June 7, 2006. 2. MedlinePlus^® Medical Dictionary. US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Web sites. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html. Accessed June 7, 2006. 3. Stedman's Medical Dictionary. 27th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:405. 4. Glaucoma surgery page. Glaucoma Research Foundation website. Available at: http://www.glaucoma.org/treating/surgery.html. Accessed July 14, 2006. 5. Ocular Hypertension page. American Optometric Association Web site. Available at: http://www.aoa.org/x772.xml. Accessed June 7, 2006. 6. Glaucoma Resource Guide page. National Eye Institute Web site. Available at: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts.asp. Accessed June 7, 2006. 7. Don't Lose Sight of Glaucoma page. National Eye Institute Web site. Available at: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_risk.asp. Accessed June 7, 2006.}