Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a common eye condition in which vision is lost because of damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries information about vision from the eye to the brain. In most people with glaucoma, optic-nerve damage is related to increased pressure of the fluid circulating inside the front portion of the eye. However, glaucoma-related eye damage can occur even when the fluid pressure is normal.

In the most common form of glaucoma, called primary open-angle glaucoma, fluid circulates freely within the eye and the pressure tends to rise slowly over time. Gradual loss of vision is usually the only symptom. A less common form of the disease, called acute or angle-closure glaucoma, develops suddenly and usually causes eye pain and redness. In this form of glaucoma, pressures rise quickly because normal fluid flow within the eye is blocked by the closing of a structure called the angle (where the iris and cornea meet). Experts are uncertain why either form of glaucoma damages the optic nerve. In addition to open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma, rarer forms of the illness exist. They may be related to eye defects that developed before birth (congenital glaucoma) or to eye injuries, eye tumors or medical problems such as diabetes. In some cases, medications, such as corticosteroids, also can trigger glaucoma.

Regularly scheduled eye exams are encouraged for early detection.