Glaucoma Symptoms & Treatments

Glaucoma is perhaps the most well known of the major eye diseases or conditions. However, many of our patients are still surprised to learn that there are actually multiple types of glaucoma. Symptoms may also vary depending on which of these types of glaucoma you have.

Glaucoma is a group of conditions which are most typically caused by abnormally high pressure inside your eye, known as intraocular pressure. The source of this rise in pressure distinguishes one type of glaucoma from another. Within your eye, a flow of aqueous fluid supplies nutrients and is drained from the eyeball, providing both an inflow and outflow of fluids. When this outflow is blocked, pressure builds up, and this pressure may damage and potentially kill off the optic nerve.

• Open angle glaucoma occurs when drainage channels around the entire eyeball gradually become blocked.
• Closed angle glaucoma, also known as acute angle glaucoma, occurs when fluids cannot pass through the pupil.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Additionally, almost any glaucoma doctor will often say that prevention is the best treatment, as symptoms may be gradual or unnoticeable until the disease is already at a late stage. With open angle glaucoma, the most common type of glaucoma, peripheral vision gradually decreases in both eyes. Tunnel vision may occur in advanced stages, as well as eventual blindness. With closed or acute angle glaucoma, symptoms may include eye pain, nausea and vomiting accompanying that pain, blurred vision and halos around lights, eye reddening, and sudden onset of visual disturbances as opposed to a more gradual process. Call the office of glaucoma specialist John Frangie, M.D. at (413) 363-2732. We’ll do our best to answer your questions and you can schedule a consultation to discuss the types of glaucoma, symptoms you’re experiencing, and treatment.