Glaucoma can cause blindness

Glaucoma is an optic nerve disease characterized by a progressive loss of nerve fibers of the nerve. The high intraocular pressure is associated with glaucoma. However, some patients suffering from glaucoma with normal intraocular pressure.

There are several types of glaucoma: chronic, acute and it is related to other diseases of the eye. The most common glaucoma is chronic and hereditary; if a family member suffers from glaucoma, there is a greater risk of developing this disease. Specialists in Ophthalmology say it is very important to make eye checks, especially after 40 years. These controls consist of measuring intraocular pressure and to study the structure and function of the optic nerve.

When do glaucoma can cause blindness?

If the treatment works, the patient does not have to lose sight. But there are some cases where glaucoma can cause blindness. Some patients do not respond well to treatment and, gradually, they may lose peripheral vision to have a very small field of view vision known as "tube shotgun."

People who are more at risk for vision loss are those that develop the disease at an early age, who do not follow the treatment correctly and those with severely damaged the optic nerve at the time of diagnosis.

How you can treat glaucoma?

Glaucoma treatment is to apply eye drops every day in the eye in order to reduce eye pressure. Sometimes it is necessary to use up to three different eye drops. Depending on the type of eye drops, the treatment has to be done once or twice a day (every 24 hours or every 12 hours). Unless otherwise ophthalmologist, treatment for glaucoma is chronic. Sometimes you need to change the treatment, because if the eye pressure is not sufficiently reduced is needed surgery.

Evolution of the vision of a patient with severe glaucoma