The wait times in our emergency departments are longer than usual due to illnesses like RSV and the flu. View our estimated ED wait times and learn more about where to get care for your sick child.
The wait times in our emergency departments are longer than usual due to illnesses like RSV and the flu. View our estimated ED wait times and learn more about where to get care for your sick child.
Article Translations: (Spanish)
Glaucoma is a condition that damages the eye's optic nerve. It gets worse over time and leads to vision loss if not treated. The damage from glaucoma often is linked to a buildup of pressure inside the eye.
Regular eye exams can help doctors find glaucoma (glau-KOH-muh) early and start treatment right away.
Normally, a healthy eye makes clear fluid that slowly drains from the eye.
In a person with glaucoma, the eye usually either makes too much fluid too fast or the fluid drains away too slowly. This typically causes the pressure in the eye to increase, which can lead to optic nerve damage and vision problems.
Glaucoma can make it hard for a person to see or may even cause total blindness. That's because the optic nerve is the main nerve that carries signals from the eye to the brain, allowing us to see.
If a person loses their vision due to glaucoma, their vision doesn't come back, even if the eye pressure goes back to normal.
When kids have glaucoma, vision loss usually happens more quickly and is often more severe than when adults have glaucoma.
Doctors may notice symptoms at birth. But glaucoma doesn't always show up right away. Children can develop it as they grow.
In babies, doctors might notice eye shape or size issues that are clues a child might have glaucoma. Babies with glaucoma may have:
Older children and teens may have:
A child also can have glaucoma with no symptoms. That's why it's important for kids to have regular eye exams as they grow up.
The cause of glaucoma can vary from child to child. Sometimes a child inherits it from a parent. Other times, doctors don't know the cause.
Other causes include:
A pediatric eye specialist (ophthalmologist or optometrist) will do a glaucoma test and a full eye exam. They check the pressure in the eyes and look inside the eyes for any damage to the optic nerve. Sometimes doctors get an optical coherence tomography (OCT) test to look for early damage to the optic nerve.
In older kids, the doctor will check the child's eyesight and how well they can see above, below, and to the sides when looking straight ahead (visual fields).
An eye surgeon (pediatric ophthalmologist) usually treats children who have glaucoma. Depending on the child's age, the cause of the glaucoma, and other things, treatment may include:
Surgery is usually the best treatment for babies or young kids. The goal is to fix the eye so that more fluid drains out or it makes less fluid.
After treatment, the eye doctor will check the pressure and do other tests regularly to make sure the glaucoma does not return. Some kids may need more than one treatment to keep the pressure down and prevent worse damage.
Eye pressure can change during puberty and at other times in a person's life. So kids and teens should get their eyes checked during childhood and throughout adulthood.
If your child has glaucoma, here's how you can help:
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995-2025 KidsHealth ® All rights reserved. Images provided by iStock, Getty Images, Corbis, Veer, Science Photo Library, Science Source Images, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com
Reach us 24/7 for patient referrals, consults, admissions and neonatal transport.
© 2025 Children’s Minnesota
Children’s Minnesota is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our tax identification number is 41-1754276.
