Glaucoma is an eye disease that gradually steals your vision. Usually, glaucoma has no symptoms in its early stages. But without proper treatment glaucoma can lead to blindness. With regular eye exams, early detection, and treatment, you can preserve your sight. This treatment entails lowering your eye pressure with prescription eye drops, laser treatments, and/or surgery.
You have millions of nerve fibers that run from your retina to form the optic nerve. These fibers meet at the optic disc. In most types of glaucoma, the eye’s drainage system becomes clogged so the intraocular fluid cannot drain. As the fluid builds up, it causes pressure to build inside the eye, which can damage these sensitive nerve fibers and result in vision loss. As the fibers are damaged and lost, the optic disc begins to hollow and develops a cupped shape. Doctors can identify this cupping shape in their examinations and perform other tests to confirm the diagnosis.