Open-angle glaucoma shows no warning signs or obvious symptoms in the early stages. As the disease progresses, blind spots develop in peripheral (side) vision. In the case of angle- closure glaucoma, there are usually no symptoms before an attack. Some early symptoms of an attack may include blurred vision, halos, mild headaches or eye pain. When these symptoms occur, it is better to get checked by an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

An attack of angle-closure glaucoma includes the following:
> severe pain in the eye or forehead
> redness of the eye
> decreased vision or blurred vision
> seeing rainbows or halos
> headache
> nausea
> vomiting

Risk factors of glaucoma include:
> Age above 40
> Certain racial origins like Asians, Africans, and Hispanics;
> Medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension
> family history of glaucoma;
> Long-term steroid medications;
> Eye injuries
> Thin cornea.

As individuals age, particularly after reaching 40 years old, their risk of developing glaucoma rises. Those seeking presbyopic (age-related long sight) glasses due to age-related vision changes are particularly vulnerable. Ask your eye doctor for a glaucoma check-up and get one done when the doctor advises screening for glaucoma. This has been proven effective in detecting glaucoma early. It's also beneficial to get family members evaluated for glaucoma if you have been diagnosed with it. So, on your next visit to the eye doctor, enquire about glaucoma testing.

We are not exaggerating. But it is extremely important to use your glaucoma eye drops exactly as your ophthalmologist tells you to. That includes taking every dose, every day. If you do not do this, you may lose vision. The medication for glaucoma work in different ways: some reduce the fluid the eye produces, few others increase the fluid drainage from the eye, and some make the pupil get smaller so that more amount of fluid gets pushed out of the eye.

Some common side effects while using these eye drops are blurry vision, stinging, and redness. A few classes of glaucoma medications have other side effects like eye color change, darkening of the eyelid skin, eyelash growth, droopy eyelids, low blood pressure, reduced pulse rate, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, drowsiness, dry mouth and nose. Blurry vision, stinging, and redness may improve with time. But if the side effects still bother you, call your eye doctor.

Glaucoma is a set of irreversible, progressive optic neuropathies related to the eye that can lead to severe visual field loss and blindness. The primary risk factor of glaucoma is increased pressure inside the eye also known as intraocular pressure (IOP). IOP is measured through a procedure called tonometry. Eye physicians use a tonometer - a calibrated instrument, to measure the pressure inside the eye.

The normal range of intraocular pressure is 10 to 21 millimetres of mercury. Instruments measuring intraocular pressure assume the eye is a closed globe with uniform pressure distributed throughout the anterior chamber and vitreous cavity. Measuring IOP helps screen and manage glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness.

To reduce the internal pressure of the eye, treatments such as medications in the form of eye drops, lasers or surgery are advised. Laser surgery to treat glaucoma helps aqueous fluid drain from the eye. It is of two types.
Trabeculoplasty: It is done in patients who have open-angle glaucoma and can be used instead of or in addition to medications. Here, laser is used to make the drainage angle work better. This helps the fluid to flow out properly thereby reducing eye pressure.
Iridotomy: The other type of laser surgery is Iridotomy. This is for people who have angle- closure glaucoma. Here, the ophthalmologist uses a laser to create a tiny hole in the iris. This hole helps fluid flow to the drainage angle.
It is important to review with the ophthalmologist every 3-6 months, depending on treatment needs, once glaucoma has been diagnosed and treatment has begun.