1 Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. 2  Glaucoma usually causes no symptoms early in its course, at which time it can only be diagnosed by regular eye examinations (screenings with the frequency of examination based on age and the presence of other risk factors).
http://www.medicinenet.com/glaucoma/article.htm
Vision loss due to glaucoma can't be recovered. So it's important to have regular eye exams that include measurements of your eye pressure. If glaucoma is recognized early, vision loss can be slowed or prevented. If you have the condition, you'll generally need treatment for the rest of your life. 1  Symptoms.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/basics/definition/con-20024042
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, which is vital to good vision. This damage is often caused by an abnormally high pressure in your eye. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. It can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. The most common form of glaucoma has no warning signs.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/basics/definition/con-20024042
Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. This nerve carries information from the eye to the brain. When the nerve is damaged, you can lose your vision. Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of legal blindness in the world. At first, people with glaucoma lose side (peripheral) vision. But if the disease isn't treated, vision loss may get worse. This can lead to total blindness over time.
http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/tc/glaucoma-topic-overview
Glaucoma is a disease of the major nerve of vision, called the optic nerve. The optic nerve receives light-generated nerve impulses from the retina and transmits these to the brain, where we recognize those electrical signals as vision.
http://www.medicinenet.com/glaucoma/article.htm
DIAGNOSING GLAUCOMA. Your eye doctor has a variety of diagnostic tools which aid in determining whether or not you have glaucoma -- even before you have any symptoms. Let us explore these tools and what they do. The Tonometer. The tonometer measures the pressure in your eye. Your doctor places a numbing eye drop in your eye.
https://www.glaucomafoundation.org/diagnosing_and_treating_glaucoma.htm
If glaucoma is not diagnosed and treated, it can progress to loss of central vision and blindness. Glaucoma is usually, but not always, associated with elevated pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure). Generally, it is this elevated eye pressure that leads to damage of the eye (optic) nerve. In some cases, glaucoma may occur in the presence of normal eye pressure.
http://www.medicinenet.com/glaucoma/article.htm
Visual Field Test. Visual field is an important measure of the extent of damage to your optic nerve from elevated IOP. In glaucoma, it is the peripheral (side) vision that is most commonly affected first. Testing your visual field lets your doctor know if peripheral vision is being lost.
https://www.glaucomafoundation.org/diagnosing_and_treating_glaucoma.htm
1 Glaucoma usually causes no symptoms early in its course, at which time it can only be diagnosed by regular eye examinations (screenings with the frequency of examination based on age and the presence of other risk factors).
http://www.medicinenet.com/glaucoma/article.htm
But some people who have glaucoma have normal eye pressure. Some people get glaucoma after an eye injury or after eye surgery. Some medicines (corticosteroids) that are used to treat other diseases may also cause glaucoma.
http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/tc/glaucoma-topic-overview
when do you get glaucoma
Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. This nerve carries information from the eye to the brain. When the nerve is damaged, you can lose your vision.