Does Glaucoma Have Symptoms? | Advanced Eye Care S.C.
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Does Glaucoma Have Symptoms?

Glaucoma is an eye condition disease that can cause permanent vision damage. However, it often shows next to no warning signs.

Glaucoma, if left untreated, can cause gradual vision loss. The vision changes often start in the peripheral and are so gradual that you may not even notice them until they are advanced. 

The best way to preserve your eyesight is to visit your eye doctor for routine eye exams. Keep reading to learn if glaucoma has any symptoms! 

Why Are Eye Exams so Important?

Having your eye doctor routinely check your eyes is crucial to maintaining your vision health. Many eye conditions, including glaucoma, can cause permanent vision loss if not detected and treated promptly. 

Since glaucoma can cause damage to your vision so gradually, you may not even notice your eyesight worsening. During routine eye exams, your eye doctor will thoroughly examine your eyes.

This process also includes checking for any changes in your eyes that could indicate the development of different eye conditions. Your eye doctor will use various testing methods to ensure that you are not developing glaucoma or any other eye conditions.

The best way to prevent vision loss from glaucoma is to visit your eye doctor for routine examinations. 

What Causes Glaucoma?

Glaucoma occurs when your eye pressure is consistently above a normal range. The consistent high pressure in the eye can damage the optic nerve and lead to permanent vision changes.

High pressure occurs when your eye is producing too much fluid or not enough fluid is leaving your eye. Sometimes, fluid is not able to leave the eye fast enough because a blockage forms where fluid is supposed to drain out. 

Since the fluid is blocked from leaving the eye and your eye constantly creates more fluid, the pressure continually grows. One way eye doctors test for glaucoma is by measuring your intraocular pressure, or IOP. 

If your eye doctor notices that your IOP is higher than usual and consistently stays this way, they may perform additional tests to detect if you have glaucoma. 

What About Other Kinds of Glaucoma?

The most common type of glaucoma is called primary open-angle glaucoma. There are not many noticeable symptoms in the most common types of glaucoma. 

Due to this, you are unlikely to detect the presence of glaucoma yourself. Open-angle glaucoma causes a steady rise in eye pressure without noticeable symptoms. 

While it is the most common form of glaucoma, it is not the only kind. In some cases, people can have an IOP within the normal range but still have glaucoma. 

This type of glaucoma is called normal-tension glaucoma. Although the eye pressure is within normal range, it is still causing damage to your optic nerve.         

One type of glaucoma, in particular, can cause tremendous symptoms to present. When the drainage channel inside the eye becomes completely blocked, it can cause angle-closure glaucoma. 

It is much less common than open-angle glaucoma but can be much more threatening to your vision. Not only does vision loss happen fast, but you may experience:

Angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is essential that you seek help right away.

Can You Stop Glaucoma?

There is no way to cure glaucoma completely. However, it is a treatable condition.

By taking medication in the form of eye drops consistently, you can slow its progress. If eye drops do not help, your eye doctor may recommend having glaucoma surgery.

Glaucoma surgery can improve fluid outflow from your eyes and reduce eye pressure to prevent further damage to your vision. The best way to detect the presence of glaucoma early is to visit your eye doctor routinely.

Do you want to learn more about glaucoma? Schedule an appointment at Advanced Eye Care in New Lenox, IL, today!