Steroid-Induced Glaucoma: Causes, Risks, and What to Do Next

When you use steroid-induced glaucoma, a rise in eye pressure caused by corticosteroid medications. It's not rare—up to 30% of people who use steroid eye drops, nasal sprays, or even oral steroids for weeks or months develop it. Unlike regular glaucoma, this one often has no warning signs until damage is done. It happens because steroids thicken the fluid drainage system in your eye, making pressure build up slowly. That pressure crushes the optic nerve over time, and once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.

It’s not just eye drops. People using corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs used for asthma, arthritis, or skin conditions for long periods are also at risk—even if they never put anything in their eyes. A nasal spray for allergies, a cream for eczema, or a shot for back pain can all trigger it. And if you have a family history of glaucoma, are over 40, or have diabetes, your risk goes up even more. Many doctors don’t warn patients because they assume the steroid use is short-term. But even a few weeks can be enough.

That’s why knowing the signs matters. Blurry vision, halos around lights, or mild eye ache? These aren’t normal. They’re red flags. The only way to catch it early is with a simple pressure check during a routine eye exam. If caught early, stopping the steroid often reverses the pressure. But if you ignore it, you could lose peripheral vision—permanently.

Some people need steroids for life. If you’re one of them, your eye doctor should check your pressure every 3 to 6 months. There are alternatives to steroid eye drops, like glaucoma treatment, medications that lower eye pressure without steroids, including brimonidine or latanoprost. These don’t carry the same risk and can be just as effective for some conditions. And if you’ve been using a steroid nasal spray for months, ask your doctor if it’s still necessary—or if saline rinses or antihistamines might work instead.

What you’ll find below are real, practical posts from people who’ve dealt with this. Some learned the hard way. Others caught it early and stopped the damage. You’ll see how steroid use connects to eye pressure, what alternatives exist, and how to talk to your doctor without sounding alarmist. No fluff. No guesswork. Just what works—and what doesn’t—when steroids and your eyes don’t get along.