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GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma is an eye disease related to high pressure inside the eye that damages the optic nerve and leads to vision loss. The optic nerve carries sight images from the eye to the brain. If untreated, glaucoma will cause partial or total loss of sight. Glaucoma affects peripheral, or side, vision.
In general, glaucoma occurs when the pressure inside the eyeball increases. This pressure causes slow and steady damage to the optic nerve. As the optic nerve is slowly damaged, blind areas develop. These blind areas can cause a loss of vision or even total blindness, usually painlessly.

Symptoms of glaucoma

There are usually no symptoms in the early stages. Vision stays normal, and there is no pain. As the disease progresses, people might notice that their side (peripheral) vision is failing. However, at that point glaucoma has already caused severe damage. The gradual loss of side vision means that first objects in the front may still be seen clearly, but objects to the side may be missed. As glaucoma worsens, the field of vision narrows and blindness results.

The most common glaucoma symptoms are: