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Glaucoma - Symptoms

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of glaucoma.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of Open-Angle Glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma is a chronic condition that slowly progresses over many years. In its earliest stages, it produces no pain, visual changes, or other symptoms. As the condition progresses and the optic nerve becomes damaged, the following symptoms appear in either one or both eyes:

Peripheral vision (vision from the side of the eyes) gradually decreases. Patients develop “tunnel vision,” the ability to only see straight ahead.
Eventually, straight-ahead vision decreases.

If left untreated, blindness results.

Symptoms of Closed-Angle Glaucoma

In acute closed-angle glaucoma, the pressure inside the eye increases quickly, and the symptoms are dramatic. Intense pain in the eyebrow area and blurred vision develop usually in one eye, and the patient often feels like the eye will burst (although it won't). The eye usually reddens. A person may see rainbow-like halos around lights. Sometimes nausea and vomiting occur. These symptoms may occur on and off and not appear as a full attack. In either case, they indicate a medical emergency. In chronic closed-angle glaucoma, the process is gradual and painless.

Symptoms of Congenital Glaucoma

Although congenital glaucoma is usually present at birth, symptoms generally don� ' t develop in the infant for a few months. If parents notice that an infant� ' s eyes are enlarging, becoming cloudy, often watering, or tending to close in the presence of light, they should have an ophthalmologist examine the child� ' s eyes. Port-wine stains on an infant� ' s face could indicate Sturge-Weber syndrome, a disorder that occasionally causes glaucoma.

Resources

www.glaucoma.org -- Glaucoma Research Foundation
www.nei.nih.gov -- National Eye Institute
www.glaucomafoundation.org -- The Glaucoma Foundation
www.aao.org -- American Academy of Ophthalmology
www.glaucomaweb.org -- American Glaucoma Society
www.lighthouse.org -- Lighthouse International

References

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Burr JM, Mowatt G, Hernández R, Siddiqui MA, Cook J, Lourenco T, et al. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screening for open angle glaucoma: a systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess. 2007 Oct;11(41):iii-iv, ix-x, 1-190.

Chang R, Budenz DL. New developments in optical coherence tomography for glaucoma. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2008 Mar;19(2):127-35.

Cheng JW, Wei RL, Cai JP, Li Y. Efficacy and tolerability of nonpenetrating filtering surgery with and without implant in treatment of open angle glaucoma: a quantitative evaluation of the evidence. J Glaucoma. 2009 Mar;18(3):233-7.

Dueker DK, Singh K, Lin SC, Fechtner RD, Minckler DS, Samples JR, et al. Corneal thickness measurement in the management of primary open-angle glaucoma: a report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2007 Sep;114(9):1779-87.

Gedde SJ, Schiffman JC, Feuer WJ, Herndon LW, Brandt JD, Budenz DL. Treatment outcomes in the tube versus trabeculectomy study after one year of follow-up. Am J Ophthalmol. 2007 Jan;143(1):9-22.

Hatt S, Wormald R, Burr J. Screening for prevention of optic nerve damage due to chronic open angle glaucoma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Oct 18;(4):CD006129.

Hernández R, Rabindranath K, Fraser C, Vale L, Blanco AA, Burr JM; OAG Screening Project Group. Screening for open angle glaucoma: systematic review of cost-effectiveness studies. J Glaucoma. 2008 Apr-May;17(3):159-68.

Higginbotham EJ. Managing glaucoma during pregnancy. JAMA. 2006 Sep 13;296(10):1284-5.

Hodge WG, Lachaine J, Steffensen I, Murray C, Barnes D, Foerster V, et al. The efficacy and harm of prostaglandin analogues for IOP reduction in glaucoma patients compared to dorzolamide and brimonidine: a systematic review. Br J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan;92(1):7-12.

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Rivera JL, Bell NP, Feldman RM. Risk factors for primary open angle glaucoma progression: what we know and what we need to know. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2008 Mar;19(2):102-6.

Rolim de Moura C, Paranhos A Jr, Wormald R. Laser trabeculoplasty for open angle glaucoma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Oct 17;(4):CD003919.

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Stewart WC, Konstas AG, Nelson LA, Kruft B. Meta-analysis of 24-hour intraocular pressure studies evaluating the efficacy of glaucoma medicines. Ophthalmology. 2008 Jul;115(7):1117-1122.e1. Epub 2008 Feb 20.

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Reviewed last on: 6/23/2009
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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