Glaucoma: Early Symptoms and Treatment

In general terms, glaucoma refers to a group of diseases affecting the optic nerve. It’s one of the leading causes of visual disability. However, eye care professionals say that it can be prevented if it’s diagnosed early and treated immediately.

Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic, your local optometrist, discusses two types of glaucoma. We also list a few factors that could potentially increase your risk for getting this disease.

Types of Glaucoma

Glaucoma has various forms, and each usually comes with a particular set of symptoms. Below are two common types of glaucoma:

  1. Angle Closure Glaucoma – Its symptoms typically include pain in the eyes, blurred vision and rainbow halo around lights, nausea, and vomiting. This type of glaucoma occurs when the normal flow of fluid is blocked by the iris, a situation that often leads to increasing eye pressures. These eye pressures can eventually damage the optic nerve.
  2. Open-Angle Glaucoma – Often referred to as the “Sneak Thief of Sight”, this type of glaucoma does not have any perceptible symptoms because the optic nerve damage occurs with normal eye pressures. The best way to detect an open-angle glaucoma is through regular visits to your eye doctor. Eye care professionals use a tonometer to check the eye pressure and an ophthalmoscope to see if there are problems in the optic nerve. 

Are You at Risk?

Certain people are also at risk of secondary glaucomas, which typically result from other eye conditions. Sometimes these secondary glaucomas can also be a side effect of the treatments of those eye conditions. People with high eye pressure, short-sightedness, long-sightedness, or previous eye injury also have a higher risk of glaucoma. Diabetes, high or low blood pressure, tendency to migraines in the winter, or prolonged use of steroids can also be a contributing factor that increases your risk of glaucoma.

Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic provides an array of optical care services, ranging from comprehensive eye exams to eye disease treatment. Call us at (425) 485-0430  or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We serve patients in Bothell, WA.