Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States, especially in the elderly population. Loss of sight can be preventable, however, if treatment is received early enough.

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. The optic nerve is the cable that takes the signals from the eye to the brain. The retina is the nerve layer in the back of the eye which is like the film in a camera. It “sees” the picture and converts it to electrical signals that are carried in “wires” called axons.

These axon “wires” are then arranged in the optic nerve cable going to the brain. Glaucoma is damage to these axon wires, causing blind spots to develop. This damage is usually slow and painless and people often don”t realize how much these blind areas have progressed until much damage has occurred. Early detection and treatment are the keys to preventing optic nerve damage and blindness from glaucoma.