Glaucoma is often called the ‘silent thief of sight’ because early stages may cause no noticeable symptoms. As damage progresses, it can lead to gradual loss of peripheral vision and, if untreated, central vision loss.
Typical Symptoms
Most people with chronic open-angle glaucoma do not notice problems until significant visual field loss has occurred. Later symptoms can include patchy side-vision loss, bumping into objects, or difficulty with stairs.
- Early disease is usually asymptomatic
- Peripheral vision is affected before central vision
- Both eyes are often involved, though not always equally
Acute Angle-Closure Symptoms
By contrast, acute angle-closure glaucoma can cause sudden severe eye pain, headache, blurred vision, haloes around lights, and nausea. This is an emergency requiring immediate care.
Further Information
More detail on early warning signs is provided in the Blue Fin Vision® blog article early warning signs of glaucoma, and the glaucoma page explains the condition in general.
