Glaucoma

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Glaucoma is associated with eye disorders that result in dangerous increases in intraocular pressure (IOP). The pressure can damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss.

Glaucoma often goes undetected since pain is usually non-existent. Therefore, you should have regular eye exams by an eye doctor to monitor your IOP and look for any increases, indicating a problem.

The cause of glaucoma is usually a failure of the eye to maintain a good balance between the amount of fluids produced and the amount drained away.

There are two major types of glaucoma:

Primary open-angle glaucoma - gradually reduces your peripheral vision. If your IOP remains high, the deterioration can progress until tunnel vision develops, and you will be able to see only objects that are straight ahead.
Narrow-angle glaucoma - produces sudden symptoms such as eye pain, headaches, halos around lights, dilated pupils, vision loss, red eyes, nausea and vomiting.

Glaucoma treatments vary from glaucoma surgery, including lasers, to glaucoma medication, depending on the severity of your case.

For more information on glaucoma, treatments and causes, visit AllAboutVision.com's Consumer Guide to Glaucoma.