Which visual field deficit is commonly associated with glaucoma?

• A. Central vision loss
• B. Color vision loss
• C. Tunnel vision
• D. Night blindness

Answer: (C)

Glaucoma typically damages the optic nerve in a way that first narrows the field of view, so the early and most characteristic deficit is tunnel vision. The central vision and color discrimination the eye uses for fine detail usually stay intact in the early stages, which is why central vision loss or color vision loss aren’t the typical early findings. Night blindness isn’t a hallmark of glaucoma either, as that symptom is more associated with problems in rod function or vitamin A-related conditions. So the best description of the common early visual field change in glaucoma is a constricted peripheral field—tunnel vision.