Glaucoma

Alternative names:

acute glaucoma; chronic glaucoma; closed angle glaucoma; congenital glaucoma; open angle glaucoma; secondary glaucoma

Symptoms:

ACUTE

• severe eye pain, facial pain
• loss of vision
• cloudy vision with halos appearing around lights
• red eye
• dilated pupil
• nausea and vomiting

CHRONIC

• frequent changes of eyeglasses, none of which is satisfactory
• inability to adjust the eyes to darkened rooms, such as theaters
• gradual loss of peripheral vision
• blurred or foggy vision
• mild, chronic headaches
• seeing rainbow-colored halos around lights

Note: Often there are no symptoms.

CONGENITAL

• tearing
• sensitivity to light
• redness of the eye
• corneal haziness
• an enlarged cornea

Signs and tests:

A physical examination may be non-diagnostic. Individuals with acute glaucoma may have a non-reactive pupil (it does not become smaller in a bright light) in the affected eye, and the eye may feel hard to the touch.

A standard ophthalmic examination may include:

• retinal examination
• intraocular pressure measurement by tonometry
• visual field measurement
• visual acuity
• refraction
• pupillary reflex response
• slit lamp examination