Is Glaucoma Hereditary? A Harvard Eye Doctor Reveals Risk Factors and Warning Signs
Having a first-degree relative with glaucoma significantly increases your risk
There are several different types of glaucoma, which refers to a group of eye diseases that can cause permanent vision loss and ultimately blindness. While the exact causes of glaucoma remain unclear, some risk factors are well established. One thing doctors do know is that glaucoma can be hereditary. And there are several other risk factors to be aware of, along with key signs to watch for if you’re at risk of glaucoma. Read on to learn more.
Is glaucoma hereditary? Here’s what a Harvard doctor says
Glaucoma develops due to fluid buildup in the eye, increasing pressure that damages the optic nerve and may lead to vision loss.
“Glaucoma has a strong genetic component and those with a family history are at much higher risk,” says glaucoma surgeon Inas Aboobakar, MD, an ophthalmology hospitalist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an instructor in ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. “Studies have found that those with a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) diagnosed with glaucoma have between three to 13 times higher risk of developing the disease compared to those who do not have a first-degree relative with glaucoma.”
Woman's World Answers
According to multiple studies, the risk is highest among people with a sibling who has glaucoma and falls on the lower end of that spectrum for people with a parent who has glaucoma.
“However, not everyone with a family history of glaucoma will develop the disease, and many individuals without any known family history will still develop glaucoma,” Dr. Aboobakar says. Indeed, over 50 percent of glaucoma cases are familial, but that still leaves many cases that are not hereditary forms of glaucoma.
Glaucoma risk factors
Beyond a family history of the disease, there are other risk factors for glaucoma to be aware of. According to Dr. Aboobakar, these include:
- Older age (over age 60 or over age 40 if you are African American)
- High pressure in your eye
- Trauma to the eye
- Steroid use
- Near- or far-sightedness
“Other medical conditions can also increase risk for certain forms of glaucoma, including diabetes, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, sleep apnea and migraine,” Dr. Aboobakar adds.
Signs of glaucoma: Symptoms to monitor for early detection
“Glaucoma is classically a ‘silent thief’ of vision since typically there are no signs or symptoms until the disease is at advanced stages,” says Dr. Aboobakar. This is the case with open-angle glaucoma, the most common type in the United States (roughly 90 percent of Americans with glaucoma have this type).
“As damage to the optic nerve occurs, it leads to changes in the field of vision, which typically starts with the peripheral vision and then affects the central vision as well as the disease worsens,” Dr. Aboobakar adds. However, this progression is usually so slow that you won’t even notice the changes in your vision until you have had the disease for a while.
Sudden symptoms of glaucoma
That said, other less common types of glaucoma can cause sudden symptoms. Angle-closure glaucoma, in which fluid builds up quickly in the front of the eye, causes intense eye pain, nausea, red eye and blurry vision and can cause blindness in just a few days if not treated. If you have any of these symptoms, go to the emergency room right away—an eye doctor can treat it to prevent vision loss from optic nerve damage.
The bottom line on hereditary glaucoma
Ultimately, the best offense to prevent glaucoma is good defense by way of regular eye exams. “If you have a first-degree relative who has been diagnosed with glaucoma, a comprehensive eye exam and glaucoma screening with an ophthalmologist is recommended after age 40,” says Dr. Aboobakar. Going for these exams or screenings every year or two will help your eye doctor catch the disease early and initiate treatment.
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