Symptoms of Glaucoma

Symptoms of Glaucoma

 

Are you concerned that you might have glaucoma? Symptoms of glaucoma are usually lacking in the early to middles stages of the disease process.  In the United States approximately 95% of glaucoma is diagnosed as  primary open angle glaucoma. Open angle glaucoma often progresses until over 50% of visual functioning is lost before the  patient has any awareness of a vision issue. Due to this delay in noticing the symptoms of glaucoma, regular preventative eye exams are crucial for the prevention of glaucoma.

Pressure in the Eye 

When most people people think about the symptoms of glaucoma, they think of feeling eye pressure. While high intraocular pressure (pressure in the eye) can cause nausea, headaches, and an overall feeling of illness;  these types of glaucoma symptoms are usually present only in angle closure glaucoma. In open angle glaucoma the pressure in the eye is normally in a range that is considered mild to moderately elevated. Eye pressure at these levels is not enough to create eye pain or discomfort which allows gradual  damage to occur to the optic nerve with no symptoms of glaucoma being felt. The first noticeable glaucoma symptom that is noticed is usually small areas of visual loss in the periphery. For this to be noticed requires loss of about half of the functional nerve cells in the retina. At this more advanced stage the symptoms of glaucoma are not reversible. The focus on glaucoma treatment shifts towards preventing any further losses of peripheral vision.

Signs and Symptoms of Glaucoma

Signs and symptoms of glaucoma are not something you should depend on in protecting your eyesight.
Routine annual eye exams are critical in early detection, prevention, and treatment of glaucomaWe do provide treatment of glaucoma utilizing a number of different eye medication strategies, and sometimes glaucoma eye surgery is needed to prevent vision loss. Most important of all is taking steps to diagnose glaucoma combined with lifestyle changes to minimize your risk of vision loss form glaucoma.

Schedule Your Exam Today!  226-0959    or  Schedule A Free Consultation If You Have Questions About Glaucoma Treatment                                

 

 

Comments 1

  1. Nash Rich

    So I haven’t known much about Glaucoma so I thought this was helpful in keeping these symptoms in mind. I didn’t know that eye pressure was related to Glaucoma, I thought that was Cataracts, so I must have got them mixed up. Hopefully I won’t have these problems, but I’ll know what the symptoms are if I start getting it. Thanks for the info and teaching me something new today!

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