What is glaucoma ?

Glaucoma includes a range of diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve that gradually increases.
As aging progresses, this damage occurs and the visual field is reduced. If not treated in a timely fashion, it can lead to total loss of vision.

What are its causes?

For a good vision it is necessary to have a healthy optic nerve (the nerve connecting the eye to the brain)

Glaucoma causes increased loss of nerve fibers, forming a gap within the optic nerve. If the disease is not treated, the patient loses sight altogether due to loss of nerve fibers

This is due to the difficulty in discharging the water mixture from the space it contains. As a result, the pressure inside the eye increases, causing damage to the optic nerve level

However, there is also a type of glaucoma where damage occurs at the level of the optic nerve, although there is “normal” pressure at the eye level.
Glaucoma can also be associated with other factors such as low blood pressure and other blood vessel diseases.

Increased pressure in the eye increases the risk of glaucoma

How can it be prevented?

Starting at a certain age (40 years) it is important to undergo a full eye examination every one or two years.

If the pressure on the eye is reduced in the early stages of glaucoma, the progression of the disease can be stopped and help to protect the eyesight

These categories of people are more threatened:

Adults over 60 years
of relatives with
black glaucoma or Asians
who suffer from severe myopia
suffer from other eye diseases