What is glaucoma (kala motia)?
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the connection between your eye and your brain. In Hindi it is commonly called kala motia (काला मोतिया). It is often caused by high pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure, or IOP), though it can also happen with normal eye pressure.
Glaucoma is called the "silent thief of sight" because it usually develops slowly, with no symptoms in the early stages. By the time most people notice a change, serious and permanent damage may already have happened. That is why regular eye checkups matter, especially after 40.
The optic nerve is made of more than a million tiny nerve fibres. When glaucoma damages them, blind spots appear in your field of vision. Left untreated, it can lead to complete blindness. With early detection and proper treatment, most patients keep the vision they still have.
Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be brought back. What can be saved is the sight you still have, which is why the checkup matters more than anything else.
Types of glaucoma
Open-angle glaucoma
The most common type, about 90% of cases. The eye's drainage angle stays open but drains fluid less efficiently. Pressure builds up gradually and vision is lost slowly over years, usually with no early warning signs.
Angle-closure glaucoma
The iris moves forward and blocks the drainage angle. This can happen suddenly (an acute attack), with severe eye pain, headache, nausea and blurred vision, which is a medical emergency. It can also develop gradually. It is more common in people with smaller eyes or long-sightedness.
Normal-tension glaucoma
The optic nerve is damaged even though eye pressure is in the normal range. The cause is not fully understood and may relate to reduced blood flow to the nerve. It needs regular monitoring and treatment to stop it getting worse.
Who is at higher risk?
Anyone can develop glaucoma, but these factors raise the risk. If one of them applies to you, regular eye checkups matter even more.
- Age over 40, and especially over 60
- Family history: a parent or sibling with glaucoma raises your risk several times over
- Diabetes
- High myopia (high minus-power glasses)
- A previous eye injury or eye surgery
- Long-term steroid use, as eye drops or tablets
- Blood pressure that is very high or very low
How glaucoma is diagnosed
A glaucoma evaluation involves several tests, so it can be detected at the earliest possible stage.
Eye pressure measurement (tonometry)
Measures the pressure inside your eye. High pressure is a key risk factor, though not everyone with high pressure develops glaucoma.
Visual field test (perimetry)
Maps your side vision to find blind spots or areas of reduced sensitivity, one of the hallmark signs of glaucoma damage.
Optic nerve examination
The doctor examines the optic nerve head with a special lens, looking for changes such as "cupping" that show nerve fibre loss.
Gonioscopy
A special lens is placed on the eye to examine the drainage angle, which helps decide the type of glaucoma and the right treatment.
Treatment options
Treatment aims to lower eye pressure and stop further damage to the optic nerve. It usually starts with the least invasive option and steps up only if needed.
Medicated eye drops
The usual first treatment. Prescription drops lower eye pressure by reducing fluid production or improving drainage. They must be used every day as prescribed, with regular follow-ups to check they are working.
Laser treatment
Laser trabeculoplasty improves fluid drainage. It is a quick outpatient procedure, useful for patients who cannot tolerate drops or who need extra pressure reduction alongside them.
Surgery (trabeculectomy)
When drops and laser are not enough, surgery creates a new drainage pathway for fluid to leave the eye. Trabeculectomy is the most common glaucoma operation and gives long-term pressure control in advanced cases.
Why early detection matters
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of permanent blindness worldwide. Unlike cataract, where surgery restores sight, vision lost to glaucoma is gone for good, because the optic nerve cannot regrow.
Early glaucoma has no symptoms you would notice yourself. By the time vision changes are noticeable, a large share of the optic nerve fibres may already be lost. Caught early, treatment is very effective at protecting the vision that remains, for life.
Our recommendation: everyone over 40 should have a full eye checkup including eye pressure every 2–3 years, and every year if you have a risk factor. If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma, use your treatment exactly as prescribed and never skip a follow-up. At our hospital the checkup is free for everyone above 50 and ₹100 for others.
Frequently asked questions
Can glaucoma be cured?
Who is at risk for glaucoma?
How often should I get tested for glaucoma?
Is glaucoma treatment free under Ayushman Bharat?
Other eye care at Indumati Netralaya
- Cataract surgery: stitch-free phaco and SICS, from ₹4,999 or free under Ayushman
- Diabetic retinopathy: screening and treatment for diabetic eye disease
- Children's eye care: eye exams, squint and lazy eye treatment