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Glaucoma: the signs, who is at risk, the eye exam, eye drops, laser and surgery
For anyone just told they have glaucoma or high eye pressure; anyone over 60, African American and over 40, or with glaucoma in the family and wondering when to get checked; anyone using glaucoma eye drops, or offered laser treatment or surgery; anyone losing side vision; and parents of a baby with cloudy eyes. The National Eye Institute (NEI, part of the NIH) says glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging the optic nerve; that at first it usually has no symptoms, so half of people with glaucoma do not know they have it; and that there is no cure, but early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision. This page passes on, by name, what NEI says: the signs and the emergency, who is at higher risk and the types, the dilated eye exam and eye pressure, the drops, laser treatment and surgery. It builds the words to say to an eye doctor, and prints a card to keep.
Right now
- Sudden intense eye pain, an upset stomach (nausea), a red eye, or blurry vision: go to a doctor or an emergency room now (NEI). It can be angle-closure glaucoma, a medical emergency. If you cannot get there quickly, call 911, and do not drive yourself (ours).
- Hurt your eye? Our eye injury guide says what to do first. NEI says eye injuries can also cause glaucoma.
- Thoughts of suicide? Call or text 988, any hour (ours).
More help
- Linked to it, on this site: Eye care · Low vision · An eye injury · Diabetes · High blood pressure.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · My medicines list · When medicine costs too much · Get ready for your appointment.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 16, 2026 on six National Eye Institute (NIH) pages: Glaucoma (last updated August 19, 2026), Glaucoma Surgery (August 20, 2026), Laser Treatment for Glaucoma (August 6, 2025), and Types of Glaucoma, Glaucoma Medicines and Glaucoma and Eye Pressure (December 5, 2024). Ours: calling 911 if you cannot get to a doctor or an emergency room quickly, and not driving yourself; 988 for thoughts of suicide; not stopping or changing a medicine, including a steroid, on your own; tying the drops to a daily habit; what to bring to a dilated exam; the questions to ask at a visit; health centers and medicine costs when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: the brand and generic names of the eye drops NEI lists (we name only the kinds), doses, research news, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.