Am I suffering from Glaucoma?
Ninety five percent patients with glaucoma do not have any symptoms. Glaucoma is a silent disease that cannot be detected or felt by the patient since central vision remains unaffected till the late stages of the disease. Hence it is rightly called as the 'sneak thief of sight'. It is usually detected during a routine eye checkup. Symptoms patients experience in various types of glaucoma
Chronic open-angle glaucoma
Ninety five percent patients with glaucoma do not have any symptoms. Glaucoma is a silent disease that cannot be detected or felt by the patient since central vision remains unaffected till the late stages of the disease. Hence it is rightly called as the 'sneak thief of sight'. It is usually detected during a routine eye checkup. Symptoms patients experience in various types of glaucoma
Acute angle-closure glaucoma
Acute angle-closure glaucoma develops rapidly. Symptoms are often severe. They include:
- Intense pain
- Redness of the eye
- Headache
- Tender eye area
- Seeing halos or 'rainbow-like' rings around lights
- Misty vision
- Loss of vision in one or both eyes that progresses very quickly
Secondary glaucoma
Secondary glaucoma is caused by other conditions, such as uveitis(inflammation of the middle layer of the eye). It can also be caused by eye injuries and certain treatments, such as medication or operations. It's possible for the symptoms of glaucoma to be confused with the symptoms of the other condition. For example, uveitis often causes painful eyes and headaches. However, the glaucoma may still cause misty vision and rings or halos around lights.
Developmental glaucoma
Recognising the symptoms of developmental glaucoma (also known as congenital glaucoma) can be difficult due to the young age of the baby or child. However, your child may display symptoms, such as:
- Large eyes due to the pressure in the eyes causing them to expand
- Being sensitive to light (photophobia)
- Having a cloudy appearance to their eyes
- Having watery eyes
- Jerky movements of the eyes
- Having a squint, which is an eye condition that causes one of the eyes to turn inwards, outwards or upwards, while the other eye looks forward