Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve, which connects your eye to your brain, is damaged by the pressure of the fluid inside your eye.

This may be because the pressure is higher than normal, or because the nerve is more susceptible to damage from pressure. This may affect one or both of your eyes. There are two main types of glaucoma: Chronic glaucoma, which happens slowly; and acute glaucoma which happens quickly. Chronic is much more common than acute glaucoma.

Who is at risk of chronic glaucoma?

Anyone can develop chronic glaucoma. The risk increases if you:

Are aged over 40
Are very short-sighted
Are of African or Caribbean origin
Are very closely related to someone with chronic glaucoma
Have raised pressure within your eye (Ocular Hypertension)

Because the early stages of chronic glaucoma do not cause symptoms, the best way to catch it early is to have regular eye examinations. Click here to book now.

I have glaucoma. Can I drive?

If you drive a car and have been diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes, this will affect the amount you can see, and the law says that you must tell the DVLA. You may have to take some extra tests, but most people are still allowed to carry on driving.

Acute glaucoma

This is the type of glaucoma where the drainage channels inside your eye are blocked or damaged in some way. This causes the pressure inside your eye to increase rapidly.

Sometimes the increased pressure can come and go, and some people get short bursts of pain and/or discomfort and blurred vision.
Other symptoms are an ache in the eye which comes and goes, red eyes, or seeing coloured rings around white lights, or it can be a bit like looking through a haze or mist.

If you get these symptoms it is important to act quickly, even if the symptoms go away, as your vision may be damaged each time the symptoms occur.

If you have these symptoms and they DO NOT go away, you should go to the Accident & Emergency department immediately so that the pain and the pressure in the eye can be relieved.

People who are more likely to get acute glaucoma are: