By the time your vision is damaged from Glaucoma, the disease has been at work for a long time. There are some signs and symptoms that may be noticeable before Glaucoma reaches an advanced stage, including:
- Sensitivity to light and glare
- Trouble differentiating between varying shades of light and dark
- Trouble with night vision, halos around lights
- Loss of side vision
- Eye pain or discomfort
How Vision Loss Typically Occurs
- Vision loss starts in the periphery or side and can be hard to notice. Even after you lose some side vision, you still may not realize it. Some people may compensate by turning their head without knowing it.
- Unlikely in the early stages, as glaucoma progresses, you may notice that you’re missing things to the side and are developing tunnel vision.
- Over time, vision decreases until there's nothing left. That’s why early detection is so important.
When Do Symptoms Indicate a Medical Emergency?
When the drainage canals are suddenly blocked, eye pressure rises quickly. This is a medical emergency. Symptoms may be on and off at first, or get worse steadily. They may include:
- Sudden, severe pain in one eye
- Decreased or cloudy vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rainbow-like halos around lights
- Red eye
- Eye feels swollen
- Pain above the eyebrows
