What Does Glaucoma Look Like?

Glaucoma is a common eye condition, but it can cause serious issues for those who suffer from it. This eye disease can lead to blindness, which is why eye doctors take it so seriously.

There’s currently no cure for glaucoma, so regular eye examinations for early detection and treatment are vital.. Here’s everything you need to know about glaucoma, including its telltale signs and symptoms and how to address them.

What Is Glaucoma?

Thereare several different types of Glaucoma, all of which cause damage to the optic nerve. This nerve is the line of communication between your brain and your eyes, and when it’s affected by glaucoma, the result can be a reduced field of vision.

Optic nerve damage often occurs due to conditions that cause high blood pressure — that’s why many eye doctors recommend monitoring your heart health to avoid developing eye problems later in life. That said, even if you don’t have high blood pressure, you can still run the risk of developing glaucoma.

The main cause of glaucoma is a buildup of fluid in the eye, which can be caused by the eye’s drainage system failing to function the way it should. This buildup can interfere with normal interactions between the eye and brain via the optic nerve, making it harder for you to see. Because of this, early detection and treatment is key.

What Are the Types of Glaucoma?

There are a few different types of glaucoma, and each affects the eye differently and has different symptoms. Here are some of the main differences between each of these eye diseases.

Open-Angle Glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma is one of the most common types of glaucoma, with about 57.5 million people affected by it worldwide. It’s also one of the leading causes of blindness in African Americans.

It occurs when the main fluid drainage angle between the cornea and the iris stays open, but the rest of the drainage system doesn’t work properly. This causes fluid buildup and a slow increase in symptoms as the condition progresses, although you typically won’t see symptoms in the early stages.

Symptoms of middle and late-stage open-angle glaucoma include:

• Blind spots in your peripheral vision (or side vision)
• Loss of visual clarity in your central vision

Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma

This form of glaucoma is an eye condition where the outer edge of the iris blocks the main fluid drainage point in the eye. This causes the fluid in the eye to build up very quickly, and the resulting eye pressure can cause blindness in just a few days without treatment.

Angle-closure glaucoma happens very quickly and is considered a medical emergency. If you notice any symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma, it’s important to seek medical help right away.

Symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma include:

• Headache
• Eye pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Blurry vision
• Seeing halos around light sources
  

Normal-Tension Glaucoma

Normal tension glaucoma is a type of open-angle glaucoma that occurs without increased pressure in the eyes. However, optometrists have found that treatments that lower eye pressure may help slow the disease.

Congenital Glaucoma

Congenital glaucoma happens when babies are born with a physical problem that prevents the eye from draining properly. The condition is rare but is easy to catch most of the time.

Symptoms of congenital glaucoma in babies include:

• Dull or cloudy eyes
• Excessive blinking
• Tear leakage
• Sensitivity to light
• Blurred vision
• Nearsightedness
• Headache
  
  

Secondary Glaucoma

Secondary glaucoma is a broad term that describes glaucoma that occurs because of another medical condition or event.

Types of secondary glaucoma include:

• Neovascular Glaucoma: This condition is usually caused by diabetes or high blood pressure, and involves extra blood vessels blocking the main drainage point in the eye.
• Pigmentary Glaucoma: This happens when pigment flakes off of the iris and blocks the main drainage point.
• Exfoliation Glaucoma: This is a type of open-angle glaucoma caused by exfoliation syndrome. This can cause even higher intraocular pressure than normal glaucoma.
• Uveitic Glaucoma: This is a type of glaucoma that is caused by uveitis, a condition that causes irritation and swelling in the eye.

Secondary glaucoma can also be caused by eye injuries, cataracts, and tumors.

Who Is at Risk for Glaucoma?

As we mentioned before, doctors and ophthalmologists aren’t quite sure what the root cause of glaucoma is. However, there are a few factors that could put you at a higher risk of getting glaucoma.

Risk factors include the following:

• High eye pressure
• Being over 55 years of age
• Having Black, Asian, or Hispanic ancestry
• Family history of glaucoma
• Some medical conditions
• Eye injury
• Taking ocular steroids like eye drops for a long time
• Extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness
• Certain types of eye surgery, like cataract surgery

What Does Glaucoma Look Like?

Most people with glaucoma generally feel their symptoms before their eyes change appearance. This can mean severe eye pain, which may make it hard to go about your daily tasks.

If you experience any type of eye pain, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor and schedule a comprehensive eye exam. Early glaucoma treatment can help stop the condition from progressing.

However, as glaucoma worsens, it can start to cause visible changes to your eye’s appearance, specifically haziness in the cornea, bulging of the iris, and overall redness. These symptoms can also be signs of other eye problems, including cataracts, so it’s vital to seek the opinion of your eye doctor rather than self-diagnosing.

Other signs of glaucoma include blurred vision, blind spots, and tunnel vision. As the condition develops, a person's visual field can decrease even more, sometimes leading to total vision loss.

Can You Prevent Glaucoma?

Ultimately, there’s no direct way to prevent glaucoma, especially since we don’t know exactly what causes it. That said, you may be able to help lower your risk of glaucoma and support your overall eye health.

Here are a few things you can do to minimize your chances of eye damage from glaucoma:

• Get regular eye exams from your eye doctor
  
• Eat an eye-healthy diet
• Avoid adding unnecessary pressure to the eyes
• Tell your eye doctor about any blood pressure medications
• Wear glasses with UV protection
• Protect your eyes from injury

How Is Glaucoma Treated?

Unfortunately,there is no cure for glaucoma at this time. Once the condition has developed, its severity cannot be reversed.

That said, there are ways to manage the symptoms of glaucoma, especially the milder impacts on your vision. This eye care can take several forms:

Treatment options include:

• Medicated eye drops: Eye drops can help you manage symptoms like redness, pain, and irritation. These drops also help reduce the pressure in your eyes.You’ll likely need a prescription for eye drops specifically designed to address glaucoma.
  
• Laser eye treatment: Sometimes, laser treatment can be used to reduce the pressure in the eyes to minimize the damage done to the optic nerve. However, eye doctors don’t always recommend this treatment, so its helpfulness will depend on how much your condition has progressed.
  
• Eye surgery: Corrective surgery for glaucoma is another treatment option that can sometimes be beneficial. It’s often recommended in cases where other treatments have not been successful.

The Bottom Line

Glaucoma is an eye condition that usually sets in slowly and can ultimately cause blindness and vision loss if left untreated. There are many types of glaucoma, but the most common is open-angle glaucoma.

Glaucoma can look like a hazy cornea or eye redness, and it can cause blind spots, blurriness, and tunnel vision.There’s no way to prevent glaucoma, but there are treatments to stop the disease from getting worse.

To learn more about eye health and eyewear, visit the Pair Eyewear blog.

Sources:

Glaucoma - Symptoms and causes | Mayo Clinic

Epidemiology of Glaucoma: The Past, Present, and Predictions for the Future | PMC

Types of Glaucoma | National Eye Institute

10 Things To Do Today To Prevent Vision Loss From Glaucoma | American Academy of Ophthalmology