Glaucoma Facts

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the eye’s optic nerve. There are two major types:

Late symptoms can include blurred vision, loss of peripheral (side) vision, halos, headaches, and/or eye pain.

‍Glaucoma can be controlled with eye drops!

Damage caused by glaucoma cannot be reversed. Left untreated, glaucoma will eventually cause blindness. This is why it is so important to take your medication daily and have regular eye exams to catch the early signs of optic nerve damage.

Please remember to see your ophthalmologist every year!

For more information, please see:

https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma

‍ https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma

• open-angle and
• closed-angle

• Blurry vision
• Severe eye pain
• Headache
• Feeling sick to your stomach
• Vomiting
• Seeing rainbow halos around lights

• Daily use can lower the pressure in the eye and help you keep your vision.  
• If you think you might have side effects fromglaucoma medicine, talk with your ophthalmologist.
• Never stop taking the medication without talking to your doctor first.

Open angle is the most common and occurs when the eye does not drain fluid adequately so pressure builds in the eye. Closed angle glaucoma occurs when the iris is too close to the area of drainage, also causing an increase in pressure. Glaucoma usually develops slowly and there are generally no early symptoms so you may not know if you have optic nerve damage. However, it can cause the following symptoms that are a medical emergency: