Glaucoma vs Cataract
One is reversible and the other is not. A cataract clouds the lens and surgery replaces it; glaucoma damages the optic nerve, and what it takes does not come back.
- Six differences, side by side
- Both are common after 60, and both can be present
- Six clinics in five locations islandwide
Camden (Orchard)Joo ChiatClementiBedokToa Payoh
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Over 10,000 cataract surgeries performed
Over 99% success rate with minimal downtime — under 1% have major complications based on studies. Talk to our friendly cataract surgeons to understand more.
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Regional Key Opinion Leader in glaucoma
A role Dr Jayant V Iyer is engaged in by Santen and Alcon, who make glaucoma medicines and devices.
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Conservative treatment first
Drops or laser where they will do the job, and surgery only as a last resort.
The difference between glaucoma and a cataract
They are often confused, they are both common after 60, and plenty of people have both at once. They are not versions of the same thing.
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Glaucoma — the nerve thins, the lens is unaffected
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Cataract — the lens clouds, the nerve is unaffected
| What is compared | Glaucoma | Cataract |
|---|---|---|
| What goes wrong | The optic nerve is damaged, usually by pressure inside the eye. | The eye’s natural lens clouds, mostly with age. |
| What you notice | Usually nothing, until a lot of side vision has gone. | Misty or dulled vision, glare at night, colours washing out. |
| Which vision goes | Side vision first, from the edges inward. | Central and general clarity — the whole picture dims. |
| Can it be reversed | No. Lost nerve does not recover. | Yes. Surgery replaces the clouded lens. |
| What treatment does | Lowers the pressure to protect the vision that remains. Usually lifelong. | Removes the cause. A cataract does not grow back afterwards. |
| How it is found | Pressure, optic nerve and visual field checked together. | Seen directly on examination of the lens. |
The fourth row is the one that matters. A cataract can be watched until it bothers you, because surgery gives the sight back. Glaucoma cannot: what it takes does not come back, and treatment only holds the line.
Having both is common. If a clouded lens is what is blurring your vision, how a cataract is treated sets out what that operation involves. If it is the pressure you have been told about, glaucoma covers the range, the tests and the treatment.
Not sure if you have glaucoma or a cataract? Talk to our friendly staff for a same-day appointment (subject to availability).
Not sure which one you have?
Send us a message with what you have been told and a time that suits, and we will arrange an examination.
