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One out of every 50 people over the age of 35 suffer from glaucoma, making it one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma is caused by a progressive increase of pressure within the eye which causes irreversible damage to the optic nerve.
If you are black, OR suffer from diabetes, anemia, or hardening of the arteries, Or have a family history of glaucoma, your chances of developing glaucoma are eve higher.
Because most types of glaucoma develop gradually and painlessly, damage can be extensive before it is noticeable to the patient. Glaucoma can be treated, but nothing can repair nerve damage once it occurs. That is why annual preventive eye examinations are essential after age 40.
Glaucoma is detected by a variety of tests including tonometry which measures your intraoccular pressure, visual fields which measure possible vision loss, and ophthalmoscopy which allows the doctor to view the interior of your eye.
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