What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye disease that slowly and painlessly steals away your sight. Glaucoma is called the silent thief of sight because it has no symptoms – it does not make your eyes red or cause pain. But it is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States, and half of the people who have glaucoma don't know they have the disease and are not aware that they are going blind. It is therefore important to have regular eye examinations.

The cause of glaucoma is unknown, but the disease is usually characterized by an increase in pressure within the eye. This may in time result in damage to the optic nerve, loss of peripheral or side vision and ultimately blindness. The higher the pressure within the eye, the greater the chance of damage to the optic nerve.

Is glaucoma preventable?

Glaucoma cannot be prevented. Although early detection and treatment by your eye care specialist are the keys to minimizing optic nerve damage and preventing blindness from glaucoma, the disease itself is not preventable.

Your eye care specialist can detect it by examination:
• Measure intraocular pressure (tonometry)
• Inspect the drainage angle of your eye (gonioscopy)
• Evaluate any optic nerve damage (ophthalmoscopy)
• Test the peripheral or side vision of each eye (perimetry or visual field testing)

How is it treated?

The increased pressure can usually be controlled with eye drops, sometimes in combination with pills. These medications decrease eye pressure, either by slowing the production of aqueous humor within the eye or by increasing the drainage of it from the eye. Laser treatment or even surgery may be needed when medical treatment alone is unable to prevent progression of optic nerve damage.

Your doctor will work with you to develop a treatment plan that will safely lower your intraocular pressure.