Common Symptoms of Glaucoma

Ophthalmologist in San Antonio & Floresville

If you are concerned that you may have symptoms of glaucoma, do not hesitate to visit our eye doctor immediately. An annual exam will test you for glaucoma by testing the pressure in your eye. This is the best way to prevent serious conditions that can occur with glaucoma, which can lead to irreversible vision impairment. In between visits, if you feel this may be a concern, keep reading to find out what some common symptoms are. 

What is Glaucoma and Why Does It Require an Eye Surgeon?

Glaucoma occurs when the optic nerve is damaged by abnormally high pressure on the eye. It can occur at any age but is the leading cause of blindness in patients over 60. Many times the differences are gradual and the patient won’t notice until glaucoma has become advanced. Some early signals of glaucoma include:

• Loss of peripheral vision
• Blurred vision
• Halos in lights
• Red eyes
• Nausea and vomiting along with eye pain
• Vision blurring or disturbed when in low light

Types of Glaucoma

The most common type of glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, has little to no symptoms at first. Visually, the sharpness and accuracy of your sight remain intact, but some patients will notice that their peripheral vision is not as good. 

Angle-closure glaucoma is much rarer but seen as a medical emergency. You will experience sudden visual disturbance accompanied by severe eye pain and nausea. If it is left too long untreated, many patients report tunnel vision in advanced stages.

Sometimes, and acute glaucoma attack will not be noticed because the symptoms occur in minor attacks. A patient with minor attacks often reports blurring of their vision and rainbow-like halos around lights. 

If glaucoma is left untreated, complete blindness may occur within a few years. 

Call Our Ophthalmologist Today for Glaucoma Testing

The testing for glaucoma is simple and quick and well-worth an annual visit. It could save your vision. If you live in Dodge City, KS call our eye doctor at Christensen Eye Care and schedule an appointment at (620) 227-5433.