Glaucoma Symptoms
Glaucoma is not just one disease, but a group of them. The common feature of these diseases is damage to the optic nerve that usually is accompanied by an abnormally high pressure inside the eyeball. The optic nerve is a bundle of more than a million nerve fibers at the back of your eye. It's like a big electric cable made up of thousands of individual wires carrying the images from the inside back wall of your eyeball, the retina, to your brain. Blind spots develop in your visual field when the optic nerve deteriorates, usually starting with your peripheral, side, vision. If left untreated, glaucoma may lead to blindness in both eyes.The most common form of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, develops gradually, giving no warning signs. Many people aren't even aware they have an eye problem until their vision is extensively compromised. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of vision loss in the United States.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
Closed angle (acute) glaucoma may occur in people who were born with a narrow angle between the iris and the cornea (the anterior chamber angle). This is more common in people who are farsighted (they see objects in the distance better than those which are close up). The iris may slip forward and suddenly close off the exit of aqueous humor, and a sudden increase in pressure within the eye follows.
- Severe eye pain, facial pain
- Loss of vision
- Cloudy vision with halos appearing around lights
- Red eye
- Fixed, non-reactive pupil
- Nausea and vomiting
Open angle (chronic) glaucoma is by far the most common type of glaucoma. In open angle glaucoma, the iris does not block the drainage angle as it does in acute glaucoma. Instead, the fluid outlet channels within the wall of the eye gradually narrow with time. The disease usually affects both eyes, and over a period of years the consistently elevated pressure slowly damages the optic nerve.
Chronic glaucoma has no early warning signs, and the associated loss of peripheral vision occurs so gradually that it may go unnoticed until a substantial amount of damage and vision loss have occurred. The only way to diagnose glaucoma early is through routine eye examinations.
- Gradual loss of peripheral vision
- Blurred or foggy vision
- Mild, chronic headaches
- Seeing rainbow-colored halos around lights
Secondary glaucoma is caused by other diseases, including eye diseases such as uveitis, systemic diseases, and drugs such as corticosteroids.
Congenital glaucoma, which is present at birth, is the result of defective development of the fluid outflow channels of the eye. Surgery is required for correction. Congenital glaucoma is often hereditary.
- Tearing
- Sensitivity to light
- Redness of the eye
- Corneal haziness
- Enlarged cornea
Don't wait for symptoms of any kind to occur. Regular checkups can help detect the disease in its early stages before irreversible damage has occurred. As a general rule, have eye exams every two to four years if you're between the ages of 40 and 65, and every one to two years if you're older than 65.
Glaucoma Symptoms to G
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