Glaucoma

Glaucoma Q&A

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness for people 60 and older. Board-certified ophthalmologist and eye surgeon Sara Creekmore, DO, provides comprehensive glaucoma care, including screening, treatment, and prevention, at Tampa Bay Eye in Lutz, Florida. Many types of glaucoma have no warning signs, so routine screening is the best way to slow or prevent vision loss. Call the office or request an appointment online today.

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

Signs and symptoms of glaucoma vary depending on the type and severity of your condition. Symptoms of different types of glaucoma include:

Open-angle glaucoma

The most common form of glaucoma, symptoms of this condition develop gradually and include patchy blind spots in your central or peripheral vision. Tunnel vision may occur in the advanced stages.

Angle-closure glaucoma

Also called closed-angle glaucoma, this condition occurs when the pressure in your eye rises suddenly. Known as an acute attack, symptoms include:

• Sudden blurry vision

• Severe eye pain

• Headache

• Nausea and vomiting

• Seeing halos around lights
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An acute angle-closure glaucoma attack is a medical emergency. Call Tampa Bay Eye right away if you have any of these symptoms.

What causes glaucoma?

Glaucoma is the result of increased pressure in your eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP). The back of your eye continuously produces a fluid called aqueous humor, which fills the front part of your eye. Normally, this fluid leaves your eye through an area called the drainage angle.

A blockage in the drainage angle area can cause fluid to accumulate, which makes your IOP rise. The increased pressure damages the fibers of your optic nerve. If all of the fibers of your optic nerve die, you become blind.