What to Know About Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness for people over sixty. Though it is not treatable, recognizing the symptoms and getting treatment for it can help slow or prevent vision loss.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging the optic nerve. There are three types of glaucoma, including:

• Open-angle glaucoma
• Angle-closure glaucoma
• Childhood glaucoma

Symptoms of Glaucoma

In most cases, symptoms for glaucoma start slowly and are not noticed until the disease has progressed. Each type of glaucoma has its own symptoms, however, the only way to know for certain that you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. If you notice any of the following symptoms, reach out to your ophthalmologist for early detection and treatment options.

Open-Angle Glaucoma

In the early stages of open-angle glaucoma there are no warning signs or obvious symptoms. However, as the disease progresses, it may cause damage to the optic nerve resulting in permanent peripheral vision loss

Childhood Glaucoma

Childhood, or pediatric, glaucoma is a rare form of glaucoma that may be present at birth or may develop during the early stages of life. Symptoms of childhood glaucoma include:

• Excessive tearing
• Eye pain (only if the pressure is extremely high). Most patients with glaucoma do not have pain.
• Being sensitive to light
• Loss of side (peripheral) vision
• Having a large cloudy cornea

Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Angle-closure glaucoma causes the iris to bulge, which partially or completely blocks the drainage angle. As a result, fluid cannot circulate through the eye normally and increases pressure in the eye causing damage to the optic nerve. Symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma include:

• severe pain in the eye or forehead
• redness of the eye
• decreased vision or blurred vision
• seeing rainbows or halos
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting

Angle-closure glaucoma can also happen suddenly in the form of an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack. Symptoms of an attack can look like:

• sudden blurry vision
• severe eye pain
• sudden headaches
• nausea
• vomiting
• seeing rainbow-colored rings or halos of lights

Who is at Risk?

Glaucoma can affect anyone; however higher risk individuals include those who:

• are over age 40
• have family members with glaucoma
• are of African, Hispanic, or Asian heritage
• have high eye pressure
• are farsighted or nearsighted
• have had an eye injury
• use long-term steroid medications
• have corneas that are thin in the center
• have diabetes, migraines, high blood pressure, poor blood circulation or other health problems affecting the whole body

Treatment and Prevention

Although there is no cure for glaucoma, early treatment can prevent further vision loss, blindness, and protect your vision. Regular visits to your optometrist can help you catch glaucoma in the early stages. If you are diagnosed with any type of glaucoma, your provider may prescribe eye drops, laser treatment, or surgery to lower intraocular pressure.

Sources: Dr. Andrew Baldwin, Glaucoma Research Foundation, American Academy of Ophthalmology, National Eye Institute