Glaucoma

It is one of the leading causes of blindness in people over 40 years. It is a condition characterized by high pressure within the eye, visual field loss and damage to the optic nerve. In most cases and particularly in the early stage, there are very few signs. In the advanced stage of the condition, the main symptom is loss of vision, difficulty focusing on objects, halos around lights and people complain about having to change their lenses frequently.

To determine that a person has glaucoma is necessary to make a thorough eye exam backed by specialized tests. People who are at higher risk for glaucoma are those who have a history of the condition in the family, although there are other conditions which may develop glaucoma.

Although the best treatment is prevention glaucoma can be treated medically (with eye drops), with oral medications (pills) and also with surgery (surgery and lasers).