Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a disease that can lead to blindness or loss of vision. It is caused by damage to the eye's optic nerve. If detected and treated early, permanent damage can be minimized
or even avoided. Once damages occurs, however, it cannot be reversed.
There are many types of glaucoma. The most common form is open angle glaucoma, also
called chronic glaucoma.
Open angle glaucoma is caused by high pressure in the eye, which damages the optical
nerve and impairs vision. Increased eye pressure does not always mean you will get
glaucoma, but it does increase your risk. Another type of glaucoma is low-tension or
normal tension glaucoma, which occurs when the optic nerve is damaged despite
seemingly normal pressure levels. Treatment is the same as open angle glaucoma.
Closed-angle glaucoma is also common, caused when the iris and lens essentially stick
together, preventing fluid flow from the eye.
Glaucoma can also occur as a result of an injury such as being hit in the eye by a baseball.
This is called secondary glaucoma.
Glaucoma is not a single disease but a group of conditions with various causes that
ultimately are associated with progressive damage to the optic nerve and subsequent loss
of visual function. Glaucoma has been called the "Sneak Thief of Sight" because
progressive damage to the optic nerve often results with no symptoms.
Glaucoma is the third most common cause of blindness in the United States with over
80,000 Americans blind from Glaucoma. It has been estimated that less than half the
patients who have glaucoma have actually been diagnosed as having glaucoma.
