GLAUCOMA: SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Open angle glaucoma does not usually cause any symptoms unless it has reached an advanced stage causing significant vision loss. In these situations, people have blind spots in their vision making it difficult to see things around them, especially when walking or noticing people approaching. It would certainly stop you from driving as you wouldn’t be able to detect other road users and hazards. This is because the optic nerve has gradually become damaged, and is no longer able to send signals to the brain for you to see. It usually affects peripheral vision first, so how well you can detect objects around you rather than what you see directly in front of you. In some cases, glaucoma can also affect central vision.
Most people however do not experience any symptoms of glaucoma and instead, it is during an eye examination that an eye care professional might detect the signs of glaucoma. This can include visible damage to the optic nerve, a scan of the optic nerve that reveals damage, and/or blind spots appearing on a visual field test.
People who have closed angle glaucoma are more likely to experience symptoms, as it is a condition that comes on suddenly. The symptoms include a painful red eye, blurring and clouding of vision, seeing haloes around lights, and feeling nauseous. This type of glaucoma needs immediate treatment, so it is important to see an eye care professional straight away.
How glaucoma is tested and diagnosed
The first signs of open angle glaucoma are noticed during routine eye tests in most patients, which just goes to show how important it is to schedule regular eye tests. It’s recommended that most people have their eyes tested at least every two years, although an optometrist might suggest more frequent visits in some cases, and particularly if you are at risk of, or are possibly showing very early signs of, glaucoma.
While you might think that an eye test is just used to check whether you need glasses or other vision corrections, your eye care professional is also carrying out important tests to check the health of your eyes and find out if any conditions are developing. These include the following:
- Optic nerve assessment:
Your eye care professional will look inside your eyes and might use the latest technology to image and scan the optic nerves at the back of your eyes to check for any signs of damage. - Visual field test:
This test involves you looking into a machine and then pressing a button every time you see a light appear in your peripheral vision. This can help detect whether there is any damage to your optic nerve that might be causing blind spots because of glaucoma. - Eye pressure test:
Your eye care professional will measure the pressure of your eyes using a simple technique such as directing a gentle puff of air at each eye, which then bounces back onto the machine to measure eye pressure. Or, they might use a tiny plastic probe and gently apply it against the surface of your eye to measure the resistance, which indirectly assesses the eye pressure. Elevated eye pressure can increase the risk of glaucoma.
If any of your test results point to the possibility that you might have glaucoma, you’re likely to be referred to a specialist glaucoma service either in the community or more likely at the hospital. However, a referral shouldn’t be taken as confirmation or diagnosis of glaucoma. It simply means that your eye care professional has found potential signs that you may be at increased risk. It is only after an ophthalmologist has examined your eyes that a diagnosis of glaucoma would be made.
Getting early testing and diagnosis can be crucial for protecting your vision, and with the help of an eye care professional, the condition can be controlled and treated fairly easily.
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