More than 4 million Americans have glaucoma, a chronic disease that increases pressure inside the eye. Without treatment, this excess pressure can damage the optic nerve and lead to permanent vision loss.
Glaucoma can’t be cured, but diagnosing and treating the condition early on can help slow its progression and preserve your eyesight for years to come. However, if you don’t know how to spot the early warning signs, glaucoma often goes undetected.
Dr. Anand Bhatt, Dr. Brandon Chuang, and our caring team at Orange County Cataract and Glaucoma in Santa Ana, California, specialize in glaucoma treatment. Here, they highlight five early signs of glaucoma, so you can recognize them early and get screened immediately.
Glaucoma usually develops slowly over years or decades, but one of the first symptoms is peripheral, or side, vision loss. These changes aren’t always obvious, but if you find yourself running into objects more frequently or missing things in your field of vision, like a car turning into an intersection, it’s important to find out why.
As intraocular pressure worsens, it can affect your perception. For example, you may notice blurry or hazy spots in your field of vision, or have trouble focusing on objects close up or far away. These symptoms often point to less serious issues, like cataracts, farsightedness, or astigmatism, but it’s important to get screened, just in case.
A less common type of glaucoma, called angle-closure glaucoma, is characterized by a sudden, rapid increase in eye pressure. When this happens, it can cause severe headaches or a feeling of fullness behind your eyes. Not everyone with glaucoma experiences pressure or pain, but either symptom warrants a trip to our office.
Do you see halos around streetlamps, stop lights, or neon signs when you’re driving at night? This can occur for various reasons, but in some cases, it’s due to fluid buildup or increased pressure inside the eyes. Halos typically worsen as glaucoma progresses, so if you’ve noticed an uptick, get screened.
Some patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma experience flashes of light, similar to what you see after taking a flash photo, or a rapid increase in blurry vision. You may also notice that you’re more sensitive to light. Sometimes, this sensitivity is so severe, patients feel like they need to wear sunglasses inside.
If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms or have a family history of glaucoma, a screening appointment can determine your glaucoma risk and provide peace of mind.
Schedule a consultation today by calling our office at 714-541-4185 or using the online booking feature. Glaucoma treatment and glaucoma surgery can help slow disease progression and keep your vision sharp.
