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Glaucoma

What is glaucoma?

GlaucomaGlaucoma is a disease of the eye in which the pressure inside the eye is too high, and this high pressure damages the sensitive vision system, causing loss of sight. The eye is filled with fluid which in a normal eye flows in and out at the same rate through a spigot-and-drain system, and the pressure stays the same. But in glaucoma, the fluid can't get out very well and pressure builds up, damaging the optic nerve. When the optic nerve is damaged from high glaucoma pressures, you begin to lose peripheral vision (side vision). If the pressure remains elevated, you can gradually lose all of your sight.

How do I know if I have glaucoma?

Glaucoma has no symptoms. It won't make your eyes hurt (your eyes can't feel the high pressures), or red, or watery, or even make your vision blurry. Since glaucoma takes away peripheral vision first, and takes it away gradually over months or even years, you won't even know it's disappearing until your central vision (your straight-ahead vision) is damaged. By then, the glaucoma is so advanced that we may not be able to save your sight. The only way to tell if you have glaucoma is to get routine eye examinations. The best way to save your vision is to catch the glaucoma early, before too much optic nerve damage has been done. Glaucoma can be controlled either with eye drops that lower pressure, laser therapy that makes the drain of the eye work better, or even eye surgery to build a new drain for the eye.

But remember, you don't know if you have glaucoma unless you get routine eye examinations. To schedule a routine eye examination, click here.

Who should be tested for glaucoma?

Everyone. Anyone can get glaucoma, even children. So everyone should be periodically tested to be sure there are no signs of glaucoma. Some people have a higher risk of getting glaucoma than others. African- Americans have glaucoma five times more often than Caucasians, and they get glaucoma at a younger age than Caucasians. In fact, glaucoma is the most common cause of blindness among African-Americans. Also, glaucoma runs in families, so anyone who has a relative with glaucoma should be tested for glaucoma. In addition, people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and even nearsightedness have an increased risk for glaucoma and should be checked regularly.

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