What Are the First Signs of Glaucoma?

While glaucoma can affect people of any age, it is the leading cause of blindness for seniors over the age of 60. This eye condition does not have many warning signs during the early stages. The surest way to know if you are suffering from glaucoma is by going for regular eye checkups. Many factors like your family history can increase the risk of this condition.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye condition that negatively impacts the optical nerve in your eye. It is often associated with pressure buildup inside your eye and deteriorates over time. According to experts, it does not affect you until you are much older.

When there is excessive pressure (intraocular pressure) in your eye, it can cause damage to your optic nerve. This is the nerve that connects your eye to the brain. In more severe instances, this damage can result in permanent loss of vision or blindness in a short time.

Early Signs of Glaucoma

The most common form of glaucoma is open-angle glaucoma. However, the condition shows no noticeable early symptoms. Experts report that patients only notice it after losing their peripheral vision. Other general signs may include experiencing blind spots or patchy vision. Yet, early signs of open-angle glaucoma are usually not obvious until someone experiences vision loss.

Signs of Pigmentary Glaucoma

In some instances, the pigment that colors your iris might rub off the back of your iris, causing pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS). If left unchecked, it can cause eye pressure problems, leading to pigmentary glaucoma. If you are suffering from this condition, you might see halos when undertaking physical activities.

You could also experience blurry vision. If this occurs, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor before it is too late. Vision loss due to glaucoma is not reversible, making it important to fix the issue before it is too late.

Telling If You Have Normal-Tension Glaucoma

While damage to the optic nerve is a symptom of normal-tension glaucoma, it is not noticeable. It usually becomes apparent when you get a glaucoma exam from your eye doctor. To diagnose it, your ophthalmologist performs an eye pressure exam.

Another likely symptom of this kind of glaucoma is experiencing blind spots in your field of vision. Eye specialists take this issue seriously regardless of its cause. A comprehensive eye exam is necessary in this case.

Signs of Angle-closure Glaucoma

While open-angle glaucoma is a “sneak thief of vision,” signs of angle-closure glaucoma are swift and noticeable. This condition can cause damage very fast. Should you notice the following symptoms, get to your eye doctor immediately:

• Inflammation in your eyes.
• Loss of vision.
• Hazy-like eyes, especially in children.
• Vomiting and stomach upsets.
• Blurred vision and seeing halos.
• Eye pain.

Get an Eye Exam

The best solution for detecting glaucoma is by getting tested. Do not wait for its symptoms or it might be too late. The tests are painless and take a short while.

For more on signs of glaucoma, visit Quality Eye Care at our office in Jacksonville or Gainesville, Florida. You can also call (904) 601-1300 to book an appointment today.