This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Study identifies most common symptoms reported by glaucoma patients
 George L. Spaeth |
NEW YORK — Blurry vision, needing more light and difficulty seeing objects to one or both sides were the most common symptoms reported by patients with varying mean defects of glaucoma and no cataracts, according to a poster presented here.
In a prospective study, George L. Spaeth, MD, and colleagues interviewed 99 patients and assigned each to one of five categories based on mean defect of the patient's best eye: early, moderate, advanced, severe or end-stage glaucoma.
"We aimed to gain a better understanding of how glaucoma affects vision from the patient's point of view," the study authors said.
The mean patient age was 70 years. Fifty-four patients were women and 45 were men. Sixty-six patients were of European descent and 29 were African-American.
The majority of patients (n = 47) were classified in the early glaucoma mean defect category.
"Patients in a higher [mean defect] category were more likely to report trouble differentiating boundaries, difficulty seeing objects to one or both sides, as if looking through dirty glasses, and trouble differentiating color," the authors said.
Dr. Spaeth and colleagues speculated that loss of contrast sensitivity was the cause of symptoms in the 20% of patients whose loss of side vision was not due to field loss.
- Disclosure: Dr. Spaeth has no relevant financial disclosures.
