Glaucoma

  
        Normal Vision                            Vision with Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a serious, chronic, progressive disorder of the optic nerve and the nerve fibers of the eye, which leads to morphological damage to the optic nerve and the visual field.

It is an insidious disease, because it has no symptoms (with the exception of some types, like acute glaucoma) and when the first symptoms appear, the damage has advanced and is unfortunately irreversible.

Who is at risk for glaucoma?

No one should rest easy regarding glaucoma and its consequences. It is very important for all, from children to adults, to examine our eyes thoroughly, because the only way to treat loss of vision and blindness due to glaucoma is to diagnose and treat it early. There are, however, certain conditions linked to the disease, which tend to put the people who have them in higher risk.

This might concern you if:
• you're over 40 years of age and don't have regular eye exams
• someone in your family has a history of glaucoma
• you have high intraocular pressure
• you have diabetes, myopia, high blood pressure or use cortisone
• you have morning headaches
• your vision becomes blurry periodically
• you see halos around lights at night
• you feel pain around the eyes after watching TV or exiting a dark theater.

Increased intraocular pressure (>21mmHg)) does not necessarily mean glaucoma, just as low intraocular pressure (<21mmHg) does not exclude glaucoma (normal tension glaucoma).

Learn more about Glaucoma.