Glaucoma has no cure and is one of the fastest spreading causes of irreversible blindness. Many patients have a misconception about the disease and even ask questions such as, “Is glaucoma painful?” The answer is, in fact, not necessarily. Most subtypes of glaucoma continue to worsen without showing any signs or symptoms.
The absence of symptoms can, unfortunately, slow down the process of finding and treating the disease. Knowing the facts behind these symptoms can save your vision and motivate you to seek medical attention.
The Thief of Sight: Understanding Glaucoma
The disease glaucoma strikes at the optic nerve, which is responsible for transferring information from your eyes to your brain. The main risk factor is having eyes that feel as if there is increased pressure, as this is a sign of an intraocular pressure (IOP) spike. This leads to nerve fiber death, and your vision continues to deteriorate progressively.
This is exactly why people need to have regular eye exams, especially those who are over the age of 40, diabetics, or those with a family history of glaucoma.
Myth 1: Glaucoma Is Always Accompanied By Pain
Many people ask is glaucoma painful, but in most cases, especially open-angle glaucoma, it progresses silently. A huge misconception about glaucoma is that it is a painful condition. The reality is that most people will not experience any pain or symptoms while developing what is referred to as open-angle glaucoma. It is not until a person begins to notice a severe loss of peripheral vision that symptoms will become noticeable.
On the other hand, there is a less common form of the disease, called angle-closure glaucoma, which can result in severe pain, a red eye, headaches, nausea, blurred vision, and a red eye. This is a medical emergency, and we need to go to the hospital.
Myth 2: No Discomfort Doesn’t Mean No Risk
A lot of patients do not make it to the eye doctor for glaucoma before they have a ton of vision loss and damage to the eye because they do not feel any pain. Unfortunately, glaucoma causes vision loss before any pain or other symptoms are present.
A glaucoma test looks for signs of damage before signs/symptoms occur. The tests that are done are eye pressure tests, outline vision tests, and nerve photos.
Professionals recommend regular tests, even when someone feels that their vision is perfectly fine.
Myth 3: Glaucoma Is Only An Older Person’s Disease
Increased age is a risk factor; however, adults who are younger than 40, and even babies, can develop glaucoma. Some of the reasons younger adults may develop glaucoma are:
- Due to family history, young adults may develop glaucoma earlier than previous generations of their families.
- Due to the complications of diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Due to medical conditions that necessitate long-term steroid use
- Due to past trauma to the eyes.
Vision loss can occur as a result of delayed diagnosis and treatment; therefore, it is critical to perform glaucoma tests early and often.
What Is The Cause of Glaucoma?
The only glaucoma condition that can result in pain is acute angle-closure glaucoma. In this case, the pressure in the eyes increases in a very short period of time. The symptoms may be:
- Intense pain in the eyes
- Vision that is blurred or foggy
- Seeing a halo around lights
- Headaches and feeling nauseated
This constitutes a medical emergency that requires immediate glaucoma treatment to avoid permanent blindness.
The Importance of Early Detection
Due to the fact that glaucoma develops and progresses invisibly, the appropriate response is to get regular, routine eye examinations. Eye doctors for glaucoma employ technologies to pinpoint alterations and modifications prior to any visual deterioration occurring.
Routine glaucoma assessments may be finished in a matter of minutes and, in the future, may be able to save you years of eyesight. The earlier this disease is identified, the quicker the necessary treatments may be initiated to lessen the likelihood of serious vision loss.
Final Thoughts
Understanding whether glaucoma is painful or silent can help patients seek timely diagnosis and treatment. Glaucoma is a serious disease, and while it is often true that the disease does not cause any immediate discomfort, just the fact that the disease does not hurt does not suggest that it is not a serious threat to your eye health. There are many people who wind up losing eyesight far in excess of the problems that could be caused by a lack of vision, all because they waited too long to begin noticing symptoms.
By doing proper research and dispelling the myths associated with glaucoma, it is possible to become empowered to be proactive with your eye health. Preserving vision for years to come is possible with regular examinations, timely glaucoma treatments, and awareness of detrimental risk factors.
If you have any eye health concerns or believe you are at greater risk, do not hesitate to schedule your eye examination. It is your eyes. You should protect them.