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Most people recognize that glaucoma can result in blindness.
It is normal for pressure to increase in the eye as people age. The most common form of glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, develops as a result of changes in the delicate drainage system for fluid in the eye. The resulting increase in eye pressure causes damage to the optic nerve, a structure that carries the visual message to the brain. Visual loss is very gradual and is only noticed by the patient when the disease has progressed to the most advanced stages. Another important type of glaucoma, acute-angle closure glaucoma, results from a sudden blockage to the drainage system of the eye.