Alphagan® P 0.1% : Glossary

Glossary

allergic conjunctivitis: the eye's reaction to allergy-causing substances like pollen and dander. It usually includes redness, tearing, and itching¹

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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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contraindication: a specific situation in which a drug, procedure, or surgery should not be used because it may be harmful to the patient¹

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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]: surgery that involves laser treatment to reduce the intraocular pressure (IOP). During laser surgery, the eye is numbed so there is little or no pain. The eye doctor then holds a special lens to the eye. The laser beam is aimed into the eye, causing a bright light similar to a camera flash³

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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 loss⁴

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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 brain⁵

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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 surgery⁵

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visual acuity: how well you see at various distances⁵

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

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Indication: ALPHAGAN^® P 0.1% ophthalmic solution is approved for the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Important Safety Information
Contraindication: ALPHAGAN^® P 0.1% is contraindicated in patients receiving monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor therapy.
Precautions: Although ALPHAGAN^® P 0.1% ophthalmic solution had minimal effect on the blood pressure of patients in clinical studies, caution should be exercised in treating patients with severe cardiovascular disease. ALPHAGAN^® P 0.1% should be used with caution in patients with depression, cerebral or coronary insufficiency, Raynaud's phenomenon, orthostatic hypotension, or thromboangiitis obliterans.
Adverse reactions: Adverse events occurring in approximately 10% to 20% of the subjects included: allergic conjunctivitis, conjunctival hyperemia, and eye pruritus. Adverse events occurring in approximately 5% to 9% included: burning sensation, conjunctival folliculosis, hypertension, ocular allergic reaction, oral dryness, and visual disturbance.

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1. MedlinePlus^® Medical Encyclopedia. US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Web site. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html. Accessed July 2, 2009. 2. MedlinePlus^® Medical Dictionary. US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Web site. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html. Accessed July 2, 2009. 3. Glaucoma Research Foundation. Glaucoma surgery. Glaucoma Research Foundation Web site. http://www.glaucoma.org/treating/surgery.html. Accessed July 6, 2009. 4. American Optometric Association. Ocular hypertension. American Optometric Association Web site. http://aoa.org/ocular-hypertension.xml. Accessed July 6, 2009. 5. National Eye Institute. Facts about glaucoma. National Eye Institute Web site. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts.asp. Accessed July 2, 2009.