How will I know if I develop glaucoma?

Answers by Mitchell Gossman, MD, an ophthalmologist at Eye Associates

of Central Minnesota, located in St. Cloud

How will I know if I develop glaucoma?

Unless the pressure rises rapidly to very high levels, high enough to cause pain, it is unlikely that you will know you have glaucoma without an eye exam. In mild to moderate glaucoma, there are no symptoms. Once this advances to severe glaucoma there will be symptoms including blurred vision and decreased peripheral vision. This is a serious matter because vision lost with glaucoma cannot be recovered, and it may progress to severe loss of vision including blindness. The key to glaucoma treatment is early detection, and the only way this can be done is with a routine eye examination.

In mild and moderate glaucoma, there are no symptoms. And the key to glaucoma treatment is early detection. This is why route eye examinations are so important as we age. Stock photo

The medication I’ve just been prescribed warns about using for patients with glaucoma. Is it safe to use?

If you are having comprehensive eye exams, it is probably safe to take them. There are two general types of glaucoma. The most common one is open angle glaucoma, and these medications are safe to use with this condition. The other kind is “narrow angle glaucoma”. It’s called this because the anatomy of the eye is such that the chamber in the front of the eye between the cornea and the lens is narrower, and this can result in high pressure, or even sudden and severe rise in pressure that can cause pain and loss of vision. There are many medications that have the side effect of enlarging the pupil, and this can trigger an acute, painful rise in pressure called “acute narrow angle glaucoma”. Anyone who is diagnosed with narrow angle glaucoma almost certainly has had cataract surgery (which corrects this condition as a nice bonus) or a laser procedure called “iridotomy” via a laser in the office. In these cases, these medications are safe. If you have been diagnosed with narrow angles and haven’t yet had surgery, then do not take these medications until the surgery is done. Of course, you may have narrow angle glaucoma and not know about it because you haven’t had a routine eye exam, and that’s a shame because you may trigger an acute angle closure glaucoma attack, so see the answer to question #1! If there’s any doubt, your treating physician who is prescribing one of these medications should refer to make sure the eyes are safe for the medication.

Another concern with medications in general and glaucoma is that steroids can cause elevated pressures in the eye. If you need to be on steroids for more than a few weeks, it is good practice to have an eye exam to make sure you aren’t developing glaucoma.

Find out more

Mitchell Gossman, MD., is an ophthalmologist at Eye Associates of Central Minnesota. The office is located at 628 Roosevelt Road, Suite 101, in St. Cloud. To make an appointment or to learn more, call 320-774-3789 or email info@eaofcm.com.