Glaucoma is a chronic progressive disease that can cause blindness if not treated in time. This happens when the nerve in the eye cannot handle the pressure in the eye and therefore sustains permanent damage.
Normal pressure is usually between 12-21 mmHg. But a high pressure alone does not necessarily mean that you have Glaucoma. Some people’s nerves can handle a pressure higher than 21 mmHg without being damaged, whilst others show damage even if their pressures are normal.
That is why it is important to visit your ophthalmologist on a regular basis. We can measure the pressure and do special tests to determine whether your optic nerve has any damage. These tests may include Visual Fields (that determines your peripheral vision), and an HRT (that measures the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer). These tests are also used to monitor progression of the condition.
There are different types of Glaucoma, each with their own causes, symptoms and treatment modalities. This section concentrates on the type that occurs most commonly, namely Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG).