What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma accounts for 3% of blindness in India. It is an eye disease in which the pressure of the eye rises to a point that the optic nerve becomes damaged. The pressure that builds up occurs because too much fluid is formed or because the channel in the eye through which the fluid normally drains is blocked. Glaucoma is damaging to sight as the elevated pressure can constrict the blood vessels that nourish the sensitive nerve structures at the back of the eye. The vast majority of cases develop slowly and the patient is normally not aware of the gradual loss of sight until vision is significantly impaired.