FAQ's

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Q. What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, which is the nerve that connects your eye to your brain. This nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain, thereby allowing you to see. In most cases, glaucoma damage progresses very slowly, over a period of several years. However, sometimes this damage can progress more rapidly. As the damage to the nerve progresses, a person begins to lose vision. (• See Photo) This loss of vision begins with the side, or peripheral, vision. You may be less aware of this part of your vision, but that is very important in everyday activities such as walking and driving, so that you do not run into objects around you. The loss of this peripheral vision progresses as long as the disease is not treated. If treatment is not given, then the visual loss can progress until it begins to involve the central, or reading, vision. It is at this point that a victim of glaucoma may begin to notice trouble with the vision.

If treatment is still not given, then all vision in the eye can be lost. Visual loss from glaucoma is irreversible. Because vision lost from glaucoma can never be restored, it is critical to detect glaucoma before significant damage has occurred to the nerve. Proper treatment for glaucoma can be given to prevent further loss of vision.

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