Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages your optic nerve, which carries images from your eye to your brain, often leading to vision loss.
Connect with verified specialists experienced in managing conditions related to Eye & Adnexa Diseases.
Find OphthalmologistsClinical Overview
Your eye constantly makes a clear fluid that fills the front part of the eyeball to keep it nourished and shaped. Normally, this fluid drains out through a tiny, sponge-like meshwork at the angle where your iris (the colored part of your eye) meets your cornea (the clear front window of the eye).
Glaucoma happens when this drainage system gets blocked or works too slowly, causing the fluid to build up. This buildup increases the pressure inside your eye, which pushes against the optic nerve—the delicate cable of nerve fibers at the back of your eye. Over time, this pressure damages the nerve, which can lead to permanent blind spots or even total blindness if not treated.
Common Symptoms
- A gradual loss of side (peripheral) vision.
- Tunnel vision in the later stages, where you can only see straight ahead.
- Severe eye pain, sudden blurry vision, and seeing rainbow-colored halos around lights (common in sudden angle-closure cases).
- Redness in the eye accompanied by nausea or vomiting (associated with acute pressure spikes).