No, glaucoma doesn't typically go into remission because it's a chronic, progressive disease, and vision loss is irreversible; however, effective treatments (drops, laser, surgery) can halt or slow its progression, preventing further optic nerve damage and vision loss, making ongoing management crucial. While some cases might "burn out" in older age, this isn't a guaranteed remission, and consistent lifelong care is usually needed to control intraocular pressure and preserve remaining sight.
Because there is no cure for glaucoma and the condition doesn't go into remission, treatment is perpetual. Once you have been diagnosed, you will likely need to stay on glaucoma medications for the rest of your life.
Surgical procedures used to treat glaucoma in children include the following:
Without treatment, glaucoma inevitably causes permanent vision loss and blindness. With treatment, it's possible to slow the progress of the disease or stop it entirely. But because the range of possibilities can vary so widely, your eye specialist is the best person to talk to about this.
The damage caused by glaucoma can't be reversed. But treatment and regular checkups can help slow or prevent vision loss, especially if the disease is found in its early stages. Treatment of glaucoma aims to lower intraocular pressure.
While there is currently no cure for glaucoma and vision loss cannot be reversed, the condition can be effectively managed to prevent further damage. Early detection and consistent care are key.
Open-angle glaucoma — The most common form of glaucoma, this type is caused by damage to the filter in the eye's drainage canals.
“Strict adherence to medication is the single most important thing a patient with glaucoma can do to keep their vision from worsening,” Yohannan says.
Although it has been suggested that glaucoma is a “sick eye in a sick body” the question of whether patients with glaucoma are at greater risk of death than their peers has not been definitively answered.12,13,14 Whereas Grodum et al12 found that there was no difference in life expectancy between patients with glaucoma ...
The AAO 2025 Glaucoma Innovation Takeaway
Sustained-release therapy will play a central role in long-term IOP control. Better visualization creates safer, more effective surgery, particularly in angle-based procedures.
Glaucoma can happen at any age but is more common in older adults. It is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60. Many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs. The effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is in its later stages.
Vitamins C and E
These antioxidants help protect your eyes from oxidative damage, which can worsen glaucoma. Include plenty of foods rich in vitamins C and E in your diet to help slow the progression of glaucoma.
As the disease worsens, the field of vision gradually narrows and blindness can result. However, if detected early through a comprehensive eye exam, glaucoma can usually be controlled and serious vision loss prevented.
While there is no cure for glaucoma, treatment can significantly slow or prevent further vision loss. Treatment options include: Medications: Prescription eye drops and oral medications can help reduce IOP by decreasing fluid production or improving drainage.
While treatment for glaucoma cannot restore vision if it has already been lost, it can preserve remaining sight. Typically, many forms of glaucoma are first treated with daily eye drops or a laser procedure.
However, in general, the frequency of glaucoma screenings should be based on your age: Ages 40 to 54, every one to three years. Ages 55 to 64, every one to two years. Ages 65 and older, every six to 12 months.
Most patients with glaucoma need lifelong treatment to keep their eye pressure controlled and prevent further damage. However, some people may eventually have laser treatment or surgery that reduces or eliminates the need for daily drops, depending on how severe their glaucoma is and how well other treatments work.
Glaucoma can affect individuals of all ages. Early-onset forms of glaucoma affecting children and young adults are typically inherited as Mendelian autosomal dominant or recessive traits whereas glaucoma affecting older adults has complex inheritance.
Gradual loss of peripheral vision, often in both eyes: This is typically the earliest sign of glaucoma. You might notice that you can't see objects out of the corner of your eye as well as you used to. Over time, this peripheral vision loss can worsen, leading to tunnel vision.
Heavy caffeine intake should be advised against due to its transient elevations in IOP, especially in genetically predisposed patients or those with a positive family history of glaucoma. Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to many systemic complications and increased risk of glaucoma.
The rule of 5 is a simple rule for detecting retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) change on spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT), in which a loss of 5 μm of global RNFL on a follow-up test is considered evidence of significant change when compared with the baseline.
A newer, innovative glaucoma treatment option is selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). With this procedure, your eye doctor applies laser energy to the tissue inside your eye, stimulating the affected tissue to increase the natural drainage process.
Anyone can get glaucoma, but African Americans over age 40, all people over age 60 and those with a family history of glaucoma or diabetes are at higher risk. After cataracts, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among African Americans, who are six to eight times more likely to get the disease than white people.
However, it is important to understand that laser therapy is not a cure for glaucoma, and the eye pressure lowering effect can wear off over time. The good news is that laser treatments can be repeated, although the LiGHT study did not examine this possibility.
Five studies reported on the association of blood levels of vitamin D and glaucoma. In one study patients with glaucoma were reported to have lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (OR [95% CI]: 0.89 [0.80–0.99]) and higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (OR [95% CI]: 2.09 [1.06–4.12]) compared to controls [45].