Retired schoolteacher Ramesh, 65, thought he was becoming clumsy. Priya, 45, a working mother, blamed her tired eyes for the halos (bright, coloured rings or circles seen around light sources) she saw around streetlights. Arjun, only 32, felt perfectly fine until a routine eye exam revealed early optic nerve damage. Despite their different ages and lifestyles, they all share one common thing: glaucoma.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition where the optic nerve — the vital connection between your eye and your brain — gets progressively damaged over time. Think of the optic nerve as a cable carrying a live feed from your eyes to your brain. When that cable starts fraying, the pictures begin to disappear, slowly and silently. What makes glaucoma particularly tricky is that vision loss begins at the edges — the periphery — and slowly creeps inward. By the time most people notice something is wrong, significant damage has already occurred. And here's the heartbreaking truth: vision lost to glaucoma cannot be recovered.
Is it in your family?
Glaucoma has a strong genetic link. If a parent, sibling, or close blood relative has been diagnosed with glaucoma, your risk is as high as 40%. Like Arjun's case above — his father had glaucoma, which is what prompted his early screening. That one decision may have saved his sight.
Early signs to watch for
The challenge with glaucoma is that it often has no pain and no obvious early symptoms. However, here are subtle signs that should prompt an eye check:
• Gradual loss of side (peripheral) vision — like Ramesh, who kept missing things to his left
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• Halos or rainbow-coloured rings around lights, especially at night — like Priya's experience on the road
• Blurred vision or mild eye ache, particularly in the mornings
• Frequent changes in your glasses prescription that don't seem to stabilise
• Headaches accompanied by nausea in some types of glaucoma
Who should get checked?
Don't wait for symptoms. Consider a glaucoma screening if you:
• Are above 40 years of age
• Have a family history of glaucoma
• Have diabetes or high blood pressure
• Have been on steroid medications for a long time
• History of multiple eye surgeries
• High spectacle power
• History of any eye injury
The good news
Glaucoma, when caught early, can be managed effectively. With the right treatment — eye drops, laser therapy, or surgery and now the latest minimally invasive glaucoma surgery — the progression can be slowed significantly, and your vision can be protected.
So take a moment. Think of Ramesh, Priya, and Arjun. Then book that eye appointment you've been putting off.
Your sight is worth it.
Dr Sneha Kankaria is a Glaucoma & Cataract Specialist, Ayush Eye Clinic, a unit of Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, Chembur.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
