What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve is the part of the eye that carries the images we see to the brain. Glaucoma is often called the silent thief of sight, gradually stealing vision without warning, and often without symptoms. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to blindness. It was once thought that elevated pressure inside the eye was the main cause of optic nerve damage. Although elevated pressure is clearly a risk factor, we now know that other factors must also be involved, because even people with normal pressure, can experience vision loss from glaucoma.