Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. The optic nerve transmits the images you see from the eye to the brain and is made up of many nerve fibres (like an electric cable with its numerous wires).
Glaucoma damages nerve fibres, which can cause blind spots and vision loss.
Glaucoma is usually related to the pressure inside the eye, known as the intraocular pressure (IOP). When the aqueous humour (a clear liquid that normally flows in and out of the eye) cannot drain properly, pressure builds up in the eye. The resulting increase in IOP can damage the optic nerve and lead to vision loss.
For people with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), some of the risk factors that will affect whether you will develop glaucoma include:
- Your level of IOP
- Family history of glaucoma
- Your corneal thickness
- Certain optic nerve conditions
- If you are of a particular ethnic background (African American, East Asian)
- Advanced age
If your risk is high, treatment to lower your IOP to prevent future damage is recommended.
Since glaucoma has no noticeable symptoms, it is a difficult disease to detect without regular, complete eye exams. Ongoing monitoring is needed to watch for changes. During a glaucoma evaluation, you may have the following tests:
- Tonometry to test eye pressure
- Gonioscopy to determine eye drainage angles
- Ophthalmoscopy to assess optic nerve appearance
- Visual field test to assess peripheral vision
- Optical coherence tomography to assess the thickness of the retina and optic nerve
Glaucoma is a chronic disease. While there is no cure for glaucoma, it can often be controlled with proper management.
The goal of glaucoma treatment is to lower your eye pressure to a “target pressure”. This is a level of pressure that is less likely to cause further optic nerve damage. The target pressure differs from individual to individual. Your target pressure may change during your course of treatment.