Glaucoma Frequently Asked Questions

1. What exactly is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition in which the eye's intraocular pressure (IOP) is too high or is doing damage to the optic nerve. This means that your eye has too much aqueous humor in it, either because it produced too much, or because it is not draining properly. Other symptoms are optic nerve damage and vision loss. If you are experiencing vision loss from glaucoma then it is most likely in the advanced stage.

2. What is the difference between glaucoma and ocular hypertension?
Ocular Hypertension is another term for high IOP; the pressure is not high enough to cause any damage to the optic nerve. If you have ocular hypertension you need to be monitored closely by your eyecare professional as it can turn into glaucoma.

3. Who is at the most risk for glaucoma?
If you are over 60, African-American, diabetic or have a family memeber with glaucoma, you are at a higher risk than others.

4. Is there anyway to prevent glaucoma?
Doctors don't know of any way to prevent glaucoma, but yearly eye exams can catch it before it does any damage at all to your optic nerve therefore you never loose vision. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, eat a healthy diet, keep your weight down, exercise, take nutritional products and be sure to see your eye care professional on a regular basis.

5. What glaucoma treatments are currently available?
Doctors usually prescribe special eyedrops that reduce intraocular pressure. These are used one or several times a day, depending on the medication. If the drops do not reduce your pressure, surgery is the next step.