A disease that advances quietly

Every year, March 12 marks World Glaucoma Day, organized by the World Glaucoma Association and the World Glaucoma Patient Association. Its purpose is to encourage screening because glaucoma does not hurt, does not make the eyes water, and does not make anything look different until it is too late.

According to INSERM, approximately one million people in France live with glaucoma, but an estimated nearly 400,000 do not know they have it. Worldwide, WHO estimates more than 76 million people have the disease, a figure projected to reach 111 million by 2040.

This article provides a complete overview for 2026: what glaucoma is, its five main forms, its symptoms, or rather their absence, how to get screened at 40, 50, and 60, the treatments available today, and how to live day to day when sight declines, with help from artificial-intelligence tools such as Lumyeye.

What is glaucoma, really?

Glaucoma describes a group of conditions that damage the optic nerve, the cable of 1.2 million fibers that carries images from the eye to the brain. The most common cause is excessive intraocular pressure. The eye continuously produces a liquid called aqueous humor. When it does not drain properly, pressure rises and gradually compresses the optic nerve.

The result is progressive narrowing of the visual field, almost always beginning at the periphery. That is what makes the disease so insidious: people continue to see straight ahead for years until the tunnel of vision closes in.

Importantly, intraocular pressure is not the only factor. About 30% of glaucoma occurs with normal pressure and is known as normal-tension glaucoma. An examination of the optic nerve and visual field is therefore essential.

Five types of glaucoma, five different scenarios

1. Open-angle glaucoma

The most common form, accounting for 70% to 80% of cases. Aqueous humor drains poorly, although the iridocorneal angle remains open. It progresses slowly over 10 to 20 years, with no pain and no visible warning sign.

2. Angle-closure glaucoma

An acute attack causes a red eye, intense pain, nausea, and blurry vision with halos. It is an absolute ophthalmic emergency: a delay of just a few hours can cost the eye. It is more common in farsighted people.

3. Normal-tension glaucoma

The optic nerve suffers even though measured pressure is normal. A microcirculation disorder is suspected. It is more common among Asian women and people with sleep apnea.

4. Congenital glaucoma

Rare, occurring in one birth out of 10,000, but serious. Signs in a baby include a very large eye, tearing, and light sensitivity. Rapid surgery is essential to preserve future vision.

5. Secondary glaucoma

This form results from another condition, such as uveitis, diabetes, eye trauma, long-term corticosteroid use, or pseudoexfoliation. According to the French Society of Ophthalmology, it accounts for about 10% of cases in France.

A disease without early symptoms

This is the trap of chronic glaucoma: it does not announce itself. The brain continually compensates for visual-field loss, filling in the gaps with information from the other eye and visual memory. By the time a person notices something is missing, the optic nerve is already more than 40% damaged.

The few possible warning signs, especially when they persist, include:

  • Unusual eye strain in the evening, particularly under artificial light
  • Difficulty adapting between light and dark, such as when entering a movie theater
  • Recurring headaches around the eye, especially in the morning
  • Colored halos around light sources at night
  • Repeatedly bumping into furniture or doorframes as peripheral vision is lost
  • Difficulty driving at night or seeing to the sides while driving

None of these signs is specific to glaucoma. That is precisely why only regular eye examinations allow timely diagnosis.

At ages 40, 50, and 60: the screening schedule

The French Society of Ophthalmology recommends a retinal examination with intraocular-pressure measurement on the following schedule:

  • Before age 40: every five years when there is no family history
  • At age 40: a complete baseline examination, the statistical turning point
  • Ages 40 to 50: every two to four years
  • After age 50: at least every two years
  • After age 60: annually, especially with high myopia, African or Asian ancestry, diabetes, hypertension, or an immediate family history

A complete glaucoma screening takes 30 to 45 minutes and includes:

  • Tonometry to measure intraocular pressure
  • A retinal examination to observe the optic nerve head
  • Optic-nerve OCT, or optical coherence tomography, to measure nerve-fiber thickness
  • Computerized visual-field testing, or automated perimetry, the reference test
  • Pachymetry to measure corneal thickness and adjust the pressure reading

In France, these examinations are fully covered as part of ophthalmic screening reimbursed by the national health-insurance system.

Eye drops, laser, surgery: three levels of treatment

1. Pressure-lowering eye drops

These are the first-line treatment. Several classes are available:

  • Prostaglandin analogs such as latanoprost, travoprost, and bimatoprost: one drop each evening; highly effective with few systemic effects.
  • Beta blockers such as timolol: morning and evening, with caution for asthma or heart problems.
  • Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors such as dorzolamide and brinzolamide.
  • Alpha-adrenergic agonists such as brimonidine.
  • Fixed combinations that put two active ingredients in one bottle to simplify adherence.

The challenge is adherence: one patient in two stops using eye drops within a year. For moments like these, label-reading assistance such as Lumyeye Pro's medication-reading feature can provide day-to-day support.

2. Laser treatments

When drops are no longer sufficient, or as a first-line option under 2020–2026 European recommendations:

  • Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) opens drainage pathways. It is painless, takes ten minutes in the office, and can be repeated after three to five years.
  • YAG laser peripheral iridotomy is preventive or therapeutic for angle closure.
  • Cyclophotocoagulation reduces aqueous-humor production and is reserved for advanced glaucoma.

3. Surgery

When drops and laser are no longer sufficient:

  • Trabeculectomy creates an alternative drainage pathway and has been the reference technique for 50 years.
  • Nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy, a French alternative developed in Paris, causes fewer complications.
  • Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), including iStent, Hydrus, and XEN, has become established since 2020, often combined with cataract surgery.

Important: no treatment restores lost vision. Every treatment aims to stop progression, which is why early screening matters.

Living with advanced glaucoma

Daily life changes as the visual field narrows. Low vision caused by glaucoma has a distinctive feature: central vision often remains intact for a long time. A person can read and recognize faces yet bump into furniture, miss steps, or fail to see cars approaching from the side.

Advice validated by the French Federation of the Blind includes:

  • Turn your head more than your eyes and deliberately exaggerate scanning
  • Light rooms brightly and evenly because isolated contrasts become traps
  • Mark stair edges with a contrasting strip under French standard NF P98-351
  • Favor one familiar route instead of frequently varying routes
  • Have an orthoptist assess driving; legal fitness depends on the remaining binocular visual field under the French order of March 28, 2022
  • Ask for referral to a low-vision service such as SAVS or SAMSAH

Psychologically, living with advanced glaucoma demands adaptation that patients describe as similar to grief: grief for former independence and for an earlier relationship with space. Psychologists specializing in low vision through SAVS and SAMSAH are valuable contacts. The French Federation of the Blind, Voir Ensemble, and AVH also offer support groups, adapted sports such as blind soccer, goalball, and tandem cycling, trips, and accessible computer classes. Social connection remains a powerful contributor to quality of life.

Who is most at risk?

Several profiles have a statistically higher lifetime risk of developing glaucoma:

  • Immediate family history: an affected parent or sibling multiplies risk by four to nine, depending on the study
  • African or Afro-Caribbean ancestry: prevalence is four to five times higher and onset is earlier, from age 40
  • Asian ancestry: increased risk of angle-closure and normal-tension glaucoma
  • High myopia beyond −6 diopters: two to three times the risk
  • Poorly controlled diabetes: an independent risk factor for glaucoma
  • High blood pressure or nighttime hypotension associated with sleep apnea
  • Long-term corticosteroid treatment, whether oral, inhaled, or in eye drops
  • A previous eye injury, even decades earlier

If several factors apply, discuss them with your ophthalmologist to adjust screening frequency. A first dedicated glaucoma consultation from age 35 is recommended with an immediate family history.

Lumyeye Pro Vision Live: describing the periphery

Advanced glaucoma creates a specific need: knowing what is happening to the sides and behind you, where vision no longer reaches. That is the purpose of Vision Live in Lumyeye Pro.

In practice, the user launches Vision Live and holds an iPhone. The video stream is sent live to Gemini Live, which sees what the camera records. The user asks spoken questions such as “What's in front of me?”, “Read this storefront,” or “Which direction?” and the AI answers based on what it sees. There is no automatic description; everything works through on-demand questions and answers. The response voice is warm and calm rather than mechanical. Vision Live is a passive visual assistant. It supplements a cane or guide dog and must never be used to decide when to cross a road.

Alongside other Pro features including eye-drop reading, Maps routes, and object finding, Lumyeye Pro supports but never replaces ophthalmic care. Explore Lumyeye's glaucoma page.

Lumyeye is not a medical device. It is an everyday assistant. Your ophthalmologist remains responsible for glaucoma follow-up, treatment, annual visual-field tests, and OCT imaging.

Frequently asked questions

Is glaucoma hereditary?

Yes, to a large extent. Having an affected immediate relative multiplies risk by four to nine. In that situation, initial screening is advised from age 35, followed by closer monitoring every two years before 50 and annually afterward.

Can glaucoma cause complete blindness?

Yes, but it has become uncommon thanks to current treatments and screening. Glaucoma remains the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, but in France fewer than 5% of diagnosed patients progress to legal blindness when follow-up is regular.

Is an optician appointment enough?

No. An optician does not diagnose disease. Only an ophthalmologist can perform a complete examination including tonometry, a retinal examination, OCT, and a visual-field test and establish a diagnosis. Waiting times are long in France, so appointments often need to be booked three to nine months ahead.

Can someone drive with glaucoma?

It depends on disease progression. Under the French order of March 28, 2022, driving is permitted if the binocular visual field exceeds 120 degrees and corrected acuity in both eyes is at least 5/10. If in doubt, your ophthalmologist will refer you to an orthoptist for an official assessment.

Sources and references

  • French Society of Ophthalmology, Recommendations on primary open-angle glaucoma, 2024 update.
  • INSERM, Glaucoma overview, French epidemiological data for 2024.
  • World Glaucoma Association, Global Glaucoma Statistics 2025.
  • European Glaucoma Society, Terminology and Guidelines for Glaucoma, fifth edition.
  • WHO, World report on vision, 2019 reference with 2024 data updates.
  • French Federation of the Blind, Living with advanced glaucoma, 2023 practical guide.
  • French order of March 28, 2022 establishing the list of medical conditions incompatible with driving.

This article is provided for general information and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. If in doubt, speak with your ophthalmologist.