What are my chances of going blind if I am diagnosed with glaucoma?

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Unfortunately, it is not possible to estimate what the chances are to keeping a person’s vision once they have been diagnosed with glaucoma. Glaucoma is not curable, however, it is manageable. Often glaucoma can be managed with medication and/or surgery. This means that further loss of vision may be halted. However, glaucoma is a chronic disease that must be treated for life. Glaucoma can in fact cause blindness if it is left untreated. And approximately 10% of people with glaucoma who receive proper treatment still experience loss of vision.

Posted on September 19, 2008 12:03 PM

Comments (4)

I was surprised to learn that even with treatment, 10% of those with glaucoma will experience lose of vision! Do you mean complete loss or partial loss. This is scary. I've been treated for glaucoma for perhaps 5 years and had SLT on Monday because my pressure had risen to 27 and 26 after being at 17 and 16 2 mos ago and lower than that previously. This information has me worried.

Posted by Gloria J. Whitfield | October 22, 2008 11:36 AM

What happens to the other 90% who receive proper treatment if 10% experienced loss of vision?

Posted by Nikki | November 9, 2008 9:05 AM

The vast majority of vision lost to glaucoma in the U.S. occurs before patients see the doctor. If the eye doctor is aggressively trying to lower the IOP to an adequate target pressure and the patient is diligently following the treatment regimen, few people lose their vision while under medical therapy.

Posted by Glaucoma Research Foundation | November 19, 2008 10:26 AM

I was diagnosed with Glaucoma in 2000. I regularly go to the eye doctor for tests. My eyes started to change in 2007 so I was referred to the Glaucoma "specialist". He did laser surgery on my right eye because it was the worst one. His target for the pressure in my right eye was 14, but it reached 15 and is staying there due to the surgery and eye drops. He wants to do my left eye now. The pressure in my left eye is 18. It's my understanding that normal pressure should be between 12 and 22. If my pressure is 18 and stays lower than 22 why have surgery? I'm on eyedrops which I will still have to do after the surgery, so whats the importance of surgery if my eye pressure stays within the range of 12-22. Is there a danger to having fluctuations within the "normal" range? I didn't have a problem with having surgery in my right eye because it was noticeably worse than my left eye. I am having a hard time justifying why I should have the surgery done on my left eye. Can anyone help me with this? Perhaps I should have a second opinion?
Just recently, my surgeons assistant made the comment that my eyes aren't bad due to the Glaucoma, they are bad due to age. So, basically, my gut feeling tells me not to have the surgery at this time. Thank you in advance for any comments and/or suggestions to help me with my decision.

Answer From The Glaucoma Research Foundation:

Unfortunately, we are unable to answer your medical questions or give medical advice, as we have only general information available about glaucoma and have no doctors on staff. As glaucoma is unique to the individual, we suggest that you refer your question to your doctor, as only your doctor who has examined your eyes can recommend an appropriate treatment for you. You may also wish to seek a second opinion from another doctor which concurs with your current doctor's assessment of your vision condition and prognosis.

Here is a link to our information on finding an eye doctor: http://www.glaucoma.org/treating/finding_a_docto.php

Posted by Jill | December 4, 2008 9:04 AM