Do you know what makes glaucoma one of the most worrisome eye ailments? It’s that it truly deserves its moniker as “the silent thief of sight”.

This isn’t an eye problem that announces itself with a lot of sound and fury. Instead, it quietly damages your vision – and it does so slowly and irreversibly. 

But what if you could catch it before it has the chance to steal your sight? What if there were a way to detect even its near-silent footfalls?

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a common eye condition that causes loss of vision. It involves the increase of pressure in the eyeball to the point where it starts pressing on the optic nerve. 

This pressure can lead to damage in the nerve over time. In many cases, the nerve’s tissue ends up eroding. This is what leads to vision loss or even blindness for people with the problem.

Because the risk of developing glaucoma goes up as people age, it’s more likely to present in older people.

Why early detection matters

Glaucoma is a progressive disease, which means that the longer you have it, the worse its effects are on your body. 

In the early stages, its effects are so light that symptoms aren’t noticeable at all. This contributes to its danger – it goes undetected and thus has time to do its insidious work.

This means that by the time most glaucoma is detected, it’s already caused significant vision loss. As such, it’s vital to detect this disease as soon as possible. This way, it can be managed to prevent further damage.

Early signs and symptoms of glaucoma

Being aware of the early signs and symptoms of glaucoma can help you look out for the disease. Here are the most common signs to look out for:

1. Gradual loss of peripheral vision

This is easy enough to notice. Simply check whether or not your ability to see things off to your side seems to be deteriorating.

If you’re having trouble telling, consider going to an eye clinic. At Shinagawa Eye Centre, for example, we can run a perimetry test to evaluate your visual field. This will tell us whether or not your peripheral vision is in good condition.

2. Halos around lights

Look at a light source. Are you seeing a halo around it?

Sometimes this may also manifest as a prismatic or coloured ring around the light. Take note of this if so, because it’s a common early symptom of glaucoma.

3. Eye pain and headaches

Constant pain in your eyes, especially with a sensation of pressure in them, can indicate glaucoma development. The same is true of headaches relating to your vision.

4. Blurred vision

If you notice that your vision is gradually getting blurrier over time, see your eye doctor immediately. This may herald glaucoma.

5. Eye redness

If your eyes are perpetually red, this may signal that you have glaucoma. Remember that the condition involves high pressure in the eye. The redness is due to blood vessels being squeezed by that pressure.

6. Nausea and vomiting

This is often allied to some of the earlier symptoms we mentioned: eye pain and headaches. It can present without those, however.

7. Difficulty adjusting to darkness

Glaucoma may also cause you to have worse night vision than before. If you find that it takes you much longer to adjust to darkness, consult your eye doctor.

See an eye health professional for glaucoma screening today

Glaucoma is a serious eye condition that can lead to blindness if it isn’t caught early. Recognising the early signs of glaucoma is a key step to protecting yourself from irreparable damage.

Regular eye check-ups can do a lot to help you here. Even if you don’t notice early symptoms, a professional can run tests to ascertain if there’s anything to be worried about.

Come to us if you want to get an assessment done. We can help you detect glaucoma and other eye diseases as early as possible and do all that’s possible to protect your sight. 

Call us to enquire or book an appointment for an eye screening today.