glaucoma

Glaucoma is best described as high pressure in the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve.  The optic nerve is the large nerve that sends visual information from the eye to the brain.  High pressure causes damage to this nerve over time.  Glaucoma is a very slow process that usually has no real symptoms other than peripheral vision loss that may go unnoticed until far advanced.  Diagnosis is made by measuring the eye pressure, examining various risk factors such as family history and corneal thickness, and by measuring actual damage with optic nerve scans (such as OCT) and visual field testing.  Treatment is focused on lowering eye pressure with topical eye drops, laser therapy (SLT), and even surgical treatment (trabeculoplasty or tube-shunt).  Most people have chronic open-angle glaucoma and develop visual problems slowly over time. A minority suffer from acute glaucoma and develop acute pain, blurry vision, and extremely high eye pressure.  If glaucoma goes unchecked, it will lead to permanent vision loss and even blindness.