Eye Diseases

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a chronic and progressive eye disease that damages the optic nerve, which is essential for transmitting visual information to the brain. This condition is often associated with an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP), although it can occur with normal IOP. Optic nerve damage leads to progressive loss of the visual field, typically starting in the periphery and progressing towards the center. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to blindness.

There are several types of glaucoma, including open-angle glaucoma (the most common) and closed-angle glaucoma, each with different mechanisms and risk factors.

Please note that Bellevue clinics have all the latest technologies available to diagnose and monitor glaucoma cases.

Symptoms

There is no pain, no vision loss (except in the advanced stage of the disease), and the eye appears normal. In fact, there are no visible or felt symptoms.

Risk Factors

The genes and mechanisms responsible for glaucoma are not all known, and it is therefore impossible to associate glaucoma with one or more specific causes. However, the occurrence of glaucoma is favored by the existence of several risk factors, the most common of which is an increase in pressure within the eye.