Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, especially for older people. But loss of sight from glaucoma is often preventable if you get treatment early enough. Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries the images we see to the brain.
Many people know that glaucoma has something to do with pressure inside the eye.
The optic nerve is made up of a huge number of nerve fibers, like an electric cable containing a hugh number of wires. Glaucoma can damage nerve fibers, causing blind spots to develop. Usually people don't notice these blind areas until much optic nerve damage has already occurred. If the entire nerve is destroyed, blindness results. Early detection and treatment by your ophthalmologist are the keys to preventing optic nerve damage and blindness from glaucoma.