Glaucoma Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Movement of fluid in the eye

Open-angle glaucoma

Angle-closure glaucoma
Glaucoma is not just one eye disease, but a group of eye conditions resulting in optic nerve damage, which may cause loss of vision. Abnormally high pressure inside your eye (intraocular pressure) usually, but not always, causes this damage. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma can damage your vision so gradually you may not notice any loss of vision until the disease is at an advanced stage. The most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, has no noticeable signs or symptoms except gradual vision loss. Early diagnosis and treatment can minimize or prevent optic nerve damage and limit glaucomarelated vision loss. It's important to get your eyes examined regularly, and make sure your eye doctor measures your intraocular pressure. Symptoms

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