Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the given name to a group of eye conditions where the optic nerve is damaged, this is often associated with a raise in the pressure of fluid inside your eye. It can be chronic and often no symptoms will be experienced at first, until it slowly progresses reducing the field of vision.

Acute glaucoma can happen quickly and symptoms can include severe pain, discomfort, redness, nausea and haloes around lights, as well as loss of vision. This condition needs to be treated immediately.

Glaucoma can be treated by using eye drops to reduce the pressure or sometimes surgery may be necessary.

With glaucoma the damage caused is irreversible, so regular eye examinations are vital for early detection and then treatment can usually keep any damage to a minimum.

If you have a parent, sibling or child with glaucoma and are aged over 40 eye examinations are available free on the NHS.