What are glaucoma symptoms and signs?
Patients with open-angle glaucoma and chronic angle-closure glaucoma in general have no symptoms early in the course of the disease. Visual field loss (side vision loss) is not a symptom until late in the course of the disease. Rarely patients with fluctuating levels of intra-ocular pressure may have haziness of vision and see haloes around lights, especially in the morning.
On the other hand, the symptoms of acute angle-closure are often extremely dramatic with the rapid onset of severe eye pain,
headache, nausea and vomiting, and
visual blurring. Occasionally, the nausea and vomiting exceed the ocular symptoms to the extent that an ocular cause is not contemplated.
The eyes of patients with open-angle glaucoma or chronic angle-closure glaucoma may appear normal in the mirror or to family or friends. Some patients get slightly red eyes from the chronic use of
eyedrops. The ophthalmologist, on examining the patient, may find elevated intraocular pressure, optic-nerve abnormalities, or visual field loss in addition to other less common signs.
The eyes of patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma will appear red, and the pupil of the eye may be large and nonreactive to light. The cornea may appear cloudy to the naked eye. The ophthalmologist will typically find decreased visual acuity, corneal swelling, highly elevated intraocular pressure, and a closed drainage angle.