Cataracts and Glaucoma: What's the Difference?

Cataracts and glaucoma are both prevalent eye conditions. More than half of Americans age 80 or older have cataracts. Glaucoma affects 4.2 million Americans, although only half of them even know they have it.

Learning about each condition can help you understand your treatment (and even prevention!) options.

Dr. Nicanor Lacsina and Dr. Yelena Pinkhasova explain the differences between cataracts and glaucoma and how they can help you with either condition at Bainbridge Eye Care.

What are cataracts?

Cataracts occur when the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, making everything appear blurred, dim, or washed out. This change typically occurs slowly and is most often part of the natural aging process.

You might notice:

• Blurry or foggy vision
• Trouble seeing at night
• Headlights or sunlight causing glare
• Colors looking dull or yellow

Cataracts aren’t painful, but they are frustrating. When they begin interfering with daily life, Dr. Lacsina or Dr. Pinkhasova can perform a straightforward surgical procedure to replace the cloudy lens and restore crisp, clear vision. 

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a very different story. It’s a group of eye conditions that damage your optic nerve, and can elevate eye pressure. You can think of your optic nerve as the cable that carries visual information from your eye to your brain. 

What makes glaucoma tricky is that it often has no early symptoms, vision loss happens gradually, and damage is permanent once it occurs.

Many people don’t realize they have glaucoma until side (peripheral) vision starts disappearing. That’s why it’s often called the silent thief of sight.

While nerve damage from glaucoma isn't curable, swift treatment can lower the pressure in your eyes and slow or even stop progression. Glaucoma gets treated with eye drops, oral medications, or, in some cases, surgery.

Cataracts versus glaucoma

The main differences between these two conditions are:

• Cataracts cloud up the lens in your eye, but they are reversible with surgery
• Glaucoma damages the optic nerve and can cause permanent vision loss
• Cataracts usually affect vision quality first
• Glaucoma steals vision quietly over time

The bottom line is that these are various problems with different treatments, but both need the same expert care.

Preventing cataracts and glaucoma

While you can't completely prevent cataracts and glaucoma, there are steps you can take to lower your risk factors.

Preventing cataracts 

Cataracts develop gradually with age, but you can slow their progression by wearing UV-protective sunglasses. (UV damage makes cataracts worse.)

If you smoke, consider cessation, and if you don’t smoke, don’t start. 

Another way to prevent cataracts is to manage conditions like diabetes. People with diabetes tend to develop cataracts at earlier ages than people without diabetes.

Preventing glaucoma 

Glaucoma often has no early symptoms, which makes routine eye exams especially important. Regular eye exams can’t prevent glaucoma, but they do help us spot the earliest signs before it significantly affects your vision. Lowering your eye pressure can help avoid complications and loss of vision.

Managing eye pressure, following prescribed treatment plans, protecting your eyes from injury (wear protective safety goggles when needed!), and controlling systemic conditions like high blood pressure can all help reduce the risk of optic nerve damage. 

Can you have both conditions simultaneously?

According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, it’s common for people age 60 and over to have both at the same time. 

If you’re diagnosed with both cataracts and glaucoma, the good news is that you may not need two separate surgeries. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends considering combined surgery when appropriate to treat both conditions simultaneously.

Many people with mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma are good candidates for MIGS, or micro-invasive (minimally invasive) glaucoma surgery. Often, we perform these procedures during cataract surgery and make an insertion at the same tiny sight your Bainbridge Eye Care surgeon already used to remove the cataract.

Combining cataract surgery with MIGS offers several advantages:

• One surgery instead of two
• One recovery period
• Less disruption to your daily life

Our team carefully evaluates your eye pressure, glaucoma severity, and overall eye health to determine whether a combined approach is right for you.

Personalized care matters

If you have cataracts, glaucoma, or both, a comprehensive eye exam can help clarify your options and guide the best next steps.

The reality is that not every person with glaucoma needs MIGS, and not every glaucoma type gets treated the same way. At Bainbridge Eye Care, we take a personalized approach and utilize the latest surgical options to protect your vision now and in the years ahead.

Schedule your eye exam today. Click or call 718-306-9127 to get started.