Q: What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball, causing gradual loss of sight.
Q: What causes glaucoma?
It's often linked to a buildup of pressure inside your eye. Glaucoma tends to be inherited and may not show up until later in life.
Q: Who gets glaucoma?
It most often occurs in people over age 40, although an infant (congenital) form of glaucoma exists.
Q: How is glaucoma harmful to vision?
The increased pressure, called intraocular pressure, can damage the optic nerve, which transmits images to your brain. If the damage continues, glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss.
Q: Will I go blind from glaucoma?
Blindness does occur from glaucoma but it is a relatively rare occurrence. ... This represents about 5% of glaucoma patients.
Q: How can I tell if I have glaucoma?
The most common type of glaucoma (open-angle glaucoma) often has no symptoms other than slow vision loss
Q: How is glaucoma detected?
Regular eye examinations by your optometrist are the best way to detect glaucoma.
Q: How is glaucoma treated?
Treatment includes eye drops, medications, and surgery.
Q: Will my vision be restored after treatment?
Treatments can only preserve remaining vision; they don't improve or restore vision that already has been lost due to glaucoma.
Q: Can glaucoma be prevented?
While there are no known ways of preventing glaucoma, blindness or significant vision loss from glaucoma can be prevented if the disease is recognized in the early stages
