| name: | Glaucoma |
| also known as: | Ocular Hypertension |
| also see: | Open Angle Glaucoma; Closed Angle Glaucoma; Infantile Glaucoma; Aging Eyes; Cataract; ICD |
| description: | Glaucoma is a group of disorders characterized by increased or increasing pressure within the eyeball called ocular hypertension, resulting in progressive damage to the eye, especially damage to the optic nerve. Glaucoma is the 2nd most common cause of blindness in the USA, and although it is primarily a disease of the elderly, it can affect younger people. Glaucoma can be described based on the type of obstruction, either open angle glaucoma or closed angle glaucoma. Glaucoma can also be described as either primary glaucoma, that is, an inborn congenital error such as infantile glaucoma or an imbalance in the production and drainage of the eyeball aqueous humor fluid, or, secondary, that is, as a result of another disease process, such as cataract, uveitis, trauma, topical eye steroids, hyphema, central retinal vein occlusion. |
| signs & symptoms: | Generally, there are no early symptoms of glaucoma, so, by the time the person is aware of loss of visual fields, already significant damage to the optic nerve has occurred. |
| diagnosis: | Based on signs, symptoms, history and exam, as well as an exam by an eye specialists called an ophthalmologist, including a test for intraocular eyeball pressure, called IOP = intraocular pressure. |
| treatment: | Go to Also See above and click on the highlighted subject of interest. |
skynetMD suggests the following:
| if: | If the person would like an eye condition Internet Resource |
| go to: | Go to American Academy of Ophthalmology: Eye Net www.eyenet.org/public/pi/ |
| if: | The Glaucoma Foundation www.glaucoma-foundation.org/info/ |
| go to: |
Last updated 5/10/2008