Are Cataracts & Glaucoma the Same?

Both cataracts and glaucoma cause loss of vision, and the risk of these conditions increases with age. But, that is where the similarities between the two conditions end, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation.

Significance

• The Glaucoma Research Foundation estimates that four million people in the United States have glaucoma. Cataracts are more prevalent than glaucoma. Around 20.5 million people in the United States over the age of 40 have cataracts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Differences Between Cataracts and Glaucoma

• Cataracts occur as the lens of the eye becomes clouded, influencing vision, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). Glaucoma, on the hand, is damage caused to the optic nerve by a group of conditions. Damage to the optic nerve gradually increases eye pressure, eventually causing vision loss.

Signs

• Faded colors, blurry vision and sensitivity to glares are common signs that someone has cataracts. Glaucoma is normally asymptomatic in its beginning stages. As the disease gets worse, peripheral vision narrows.

Treatment

• Treatment of glaucoma involves medicines and surgery that remove excess fluid from the eyes, relieving pressure. Ophthalmologists treat cataracts by replacing the eye's clouded lens with an artificial lens.