People with glaucoma have optic nerve damage from fluid buildup in their eye. Left untreated, this eye pressure can permanently affect vision. Treatments � including eyedrops, laser treatments and surgeries � can slow down vision loss and save your sight. Symptoms and Causes Diagnosis and Tests Management and Treatment Prevention Outlook / Prognosis Living With Aqueous humor flows through drainage canals in healthy eyes with healthy optic nerves, while optic nerves are damaged in eyes with glaucoma when fluids and pressures build up. Glaucoma is characterized by fluid and pressure in your eye building up and damaging your optic nerve. Glaucoma is a general term used to describe a group of eye disorders that damage your optic nerve. It�s the most common form of optic nerve damage leading to vision loss. This extra fluid puts pressure on your eye, gradually damaging your optic nerve. Some people have normal eye pressure and still get glaucoma. Untreated glaucoma or poorly managed glaucoma can lead to permanent and irreversible vision loss and blindness. With open-angle glaucoma, one eye may have moderate or severe damage, while the other eye may be mildly affected. People with closed-angle glaucoma in one eye have a 40% to 80% chance of developing the same type of glaucoma in the other eye within five to 10 years. Glaucoma is a common age-related eye issue that affects an estimated 3 million Americans. Over months or years, the fluid in your eye can build up and put pressure on your optic nerve. This blocks your drainage canals and prevents aqueous fluid from leaving your eye, causing eye pressure to rise.

Symptoms, including eye pain and headaches, can be severe and require immediate medical attention. As many as 1 in 3 people have optic nerve damage even when eye pressure is normal or not very high. Another name for this type is normal-pressure or low-tension glaucoma. The problem is that for some types of glaucoma, there aren�t any early warning symptoms, and changes to vision can happen gradually, so the symptoms are easy to miss. Because many people with open-angle glaucoma don�t have any noticeable symptoms, it�s very important to have routine eye exams to detect this disease in its earlier stages. Glaucoma damage is irreversible, so you need early detection and treatment to prevent blindness. In a healthy eye, the fluid leaves through the drainage canals located between your iris and cornea. Eventually, this elevated eye pressure can damage your optic nerve and lead to glaucoma. Eye exams can assess optic health and vision loss. Visual acuity test (eye charts) to check for vision loss. Untreated glaucoma can lead to the faster development of permanent vision loss or blindness. It�s important to see an eye doctor right away if you have eye pain, severe headaches or vision problems. Many types of prescription eye drops can treat glaucoma. Some decrease fluids and increase drainage to improve eye pressure. Your eye doctor uses a laser (a strong beam of light) to help improve fluid drainage from your eye.

Having laser treatment may not replace the use of eye drops completely. Your provider may be able to repeat some types of laser treatments. Surgery is another way to help reduce eye pressure. It�s more invasive but can also achieve better eye pressure control faster than drops or lasers. Blindness is less common and affects 5% of people with glaucoma. Early detection of glaucoma through routine eye exams is the best way to protect eye health and prevent vision loss. One to three years after age 35 for people at high risk. Blindness is a rare complication for people with glaucoma, as long as a provider detects it early. Treatments can slow down disease progression and vision loss. If you�re at high risk for glaucoma, you should get regular eye exams. While there isn�t a cure for glaucoma, treatments can keep eye pressure under control and prevent vision loss. If you�re at high risk for glaucoma, ask your eye doctor how often you need screenings. You can also ask your provider about laser treatments and surgery options. With proper care, you can keep glaucoma from worsening and causing irreversible vision loss or blindness.

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