Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. It is characterized with progressive and typical damage to the optic nerve and the visual field.

Glaucoma is one of the most common reasons for blindness.

Risk factors:

High intraocular pressure by itself does not mean that you have glaucoma. Your doctor collects a lot of information to determine the risk of developing the disease. The most important of those risk factors are:

• Age
• High degree of shortsightedness
• Glaucoma in the family history
• Old trauma to the eye
• Diabetes
• Past anemia or shock

Your doctor will consider all those factors and determine whether you need treatment for glaucoma or you’d need to be monitored carefully.