From the Guidelines
Glaucoma symptoms often include gradual vision loss, particularly peripheral vision, which may go unnoticed until significant damage has occurred, and it is crucial to note that many people with open-angle glaucoma experience no symptoms until late in the disease. Other symptoms can include seeing halos around lights, eye pain, headache, blurred vision, redness in the eye, and nausea or vomiting (especially in acute angle-closure glaucoma) 1. The clinical findings characteristic of primary open-angle glaucoma include evidence of optic nerve damage, such as optic disc or retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) structural abnormalities, and reliable and reproducible visual field abnormality 1.
Key Symptoms and Risk Factors
- Gradual vision loss, particularly peripheral vision
- Seeing halos around lights
- Eye pain
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Redness in the eye
- Nausea or vomiting (especially in acute angle-closure glaucoma)
- Risk factors include age over 60, family history, high intraocular pressure, certain medical conditions like diabetes, and being of African, Hispanic, or Asian descent 1
Importance of Early Detection
Regular eye exams are crucial for early detection since glaucoma damage is irreversible 1. Treatment typically involves prescription eye drops to lower eye pressure, though some cases may require oral medications, laser treatment, or surgery 1. It is essential to adjust treatment according to the disease course and severity, with a reasonable initial treatment being to reduce IOP 20%–30% below baseline 1.
From the Research
Symptoms of Glaucoma
- Glaucoma is a slow progressive degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and the optic nerve axons, leading to irreversible blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated 2
- It is a progressive optic neuropathy that leads to blindness if left untreated 3
- Primary Open Angle Glaucoma is an often-unrecognized disease due to its slow course and lack of symptoms 3
- The decline in vision may be slowed but not restored by treatment, making early diagnosis essential 3, 4
Types of Glaucoma
- Several types of glaucomas have been described: acute and chronic, secondary and primary 3
- Primary (Chronic) Open Angle Glaucoma is the most common, with a prevalence in the USA of 1.55% 3
- Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a leading cause of blindness with no known cure 5
Risk Factors
- Risk factors include elevated intraocular pressure, advanced age, African ancestry and positive family history 3
- Increased glutamate levels, alterations in nitric oxide (NO) metabolism, vascular alterations and oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species are also risk factors 2
Treatment
- Treatment of glaucoma consists of topical or systemic intraocular pressure lowering agents, laser treatment or surgery 3
- The first-line treatment of glaucoma usually begins with the use of a topical selective or nonselective blocker or a prostaglandin analog 2
- New treatments to directly treat and protect the retinal ganglion cells that are damaged in glaucoma are also in development 4