Signs and symptoms of glaucoma

There are several different types of glaucoma. Each type has different signs and symptoms, although the most common type of glaucoma often has no symptoms. This page explains the different signs and symptoms caused by the main types of glaucoma, and what you should do if you experience any of them.

Most types of glaucoma develop gradually, so in the early stages there are no symptoms. Significant vision can be lost before someone has any signs of glaucoma.

If you look for images of what vision with glaucoma looks like, you’ll often see photos that show a black tunnel or big black patches dotted around. This isn’t accurate, and in fact glaucoma sight loss can be quite subtle, especially at the start. Some people with glaucoma notice misty or blurry patches in their vision, particularly if they close one eye, and that’s how we tend to describe glaucoma sight loss.

For people with more advanced glaucoma, daily activities such as reading, driving or moving about become more difficult. For more information about the common types of glaucoma, visit primary glaucomas or secondary glaucomas.

The only way to tell if you have most types of glaucoma is through an eye test at an optician’s.