Understanding Glaucoma: A Guide to Symptoms, Treatment, and Healthy Eye Care
Glaucoma is a common condition affecting the eye where a build up of fluid results in higher pressure within the eye (intra-ocular pressure). Medication in the form of eye drops are used to help drain this fluid and reduce pressure in eye. If left untreated glaucoma can result in loss of vision.
The majority of people will be able to manage their glaucoma with eye drops. However, laser treatment and surgery may be considered if your condition is not responding to treatment with eye drops.
Glaucoma is much more common as we age and is commonly found in adults aged over 70.
Common Symptoms
There are two major types of glaucoma – open-angle glaucoma tends to develop slowly over several years and may be diagnosed at a routine eye test, you may not realise you have this type of glaucoma until you start to develop symptoms of long term raised eye pressure such as vision defects.
Closed-angle glaucoma can come on suddenly and is a medical emergency. If you experience any intense eye pain that comes on rapidly you should visit your nearest eye hospital or A&E as this condition requires rapid lowering of eye pressure to prevent vision loss.
Top Tips to Stay Healthy
Manage your overall health - You may be more at risk of developing glaucoma if you have other conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease. Making sure you are keeping pre-existing conditions under control by making lifestyle changes and taking medication as prescribed can help reduce your risk of developing glaucoma.
Monitor your condition with routine eye tests at least every 2 years. If you’re at a higher risk, you may be advised to have test more often.
Get the most out of your eye drops – most eye drops expire 4 weeks after opening, so ensure you check the manufacturers box for their shelf-life after opening and make a note of when they need to be expired. Using expired drops may mean they don’t work as well as there will be less active drug in each drop. Only open one bottle at a time if you get more than 2 bottles on your prescription to maximise their shelf-life. Make sure you also check the manufacturers box for storage instructions as some eye drops require storage in the fridge! If you are not sure your pharmacist can give you more advice.
Advice
Make sure you’re getting the most out of your medicines by checking out this useful resource from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. They have a step-by-step guide on how to administer eye drops including a video if you prefer!
Visit Glaucoma UK for advice on dealing with some of the difficulties that may arise due to living with glaucoma such as dealing with sight loss. You may need to inform the DVLA if you have glaucoma and Glaucoma UK outline your legal responsibilities depending on the extent of your condition.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People has some more information on all things glaucoma. It is important to remember that the overwhelming majority of people diagnosed with glaucoma will not develop sight loss but if you have been told you are at high risk of this developing, or this has already happened there are some great resources here for coping and there is a guide for making the most of your sight.
Sources
Joint Formulary Committee. “Glaucoma and ocular hypertension”. NICE, October 2023, https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summaries/glaucoma-and-ocular-hypertension/
NHS. “Glaucoma”. NHS.UK, NHS, February 2021, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/glaucoma/
