Question: Can pseudoephedrine cause an acute case of angle closure?
Answer: Pseudoephedrine does dilate the pupil. However, if someone has open angles, this should not cause an angle-closure attack. An individual experiencing such an attack probably had anatomically narrow angles to start with.
Answer:
Plateau iris is the type of iris configuration where the ciliary body
processes behind the iris are long and anteriorly directed. This can
push the peripheral iris close to the trabecular meshwork, setting the
stage for possible angle closure.
Question: Does the damage in angle closure occur quickly or over a period of time?
Answer: Both ways are common. Acute angle closure glaucoma causes pressures of 50 to 80 mm Hg, which can obviously kill the nerve rather quickly. Chronic creeping angle closure progresses faster than open angle glaucoma, but sometimes slowly with minimal symptoms.
