Glaucoma

What is Glaucoma?

Normal Vision

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye conditions in which the optic nerve is damaged at the point where it leaves the eye. This nerve carries information from the light sensitive layer in your eye, the retina, to the brain where it is perceived as a picture. Your eye needs a certain amount of pressure to keep the eyeball in shape so that it can work properly. In some people, the damage is caused by raised eye pressure. Others may have eye pressure within normal limits but damage occurs because there is a weakness in the optic nerve. In most cases both factors are involved to a varying extent.

What are the signs and symptoms?

In the vast majority of cases, especially in the early stages, there are few signs or symptoms. In the later stages of the disease, symptoms can occur and include loss of side vision, an inability to adjust the eyes to darkened rooms, difficulty in focusing on close work, rainbow colored rings around lights and frequent changes of prescription glasses.

Other Low Vision Conditions

Cataracts

Diabetic Retinopathy

Age-Related Macular Degeneration