Glaucoma is the name given to a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve at the back of the eye is slowly destroyed. This damage can be due to increased pressure inside the eye, poor blood supply to the vital optic nerve fibres and weakness in the structure of the nerve.

Glaucoma is referred to as the "silent thief of sight," because damage occurs slowly and destroys vision gradually, starting with the side vision. This damage is irreversible. Treatment cannot improve what has been lost, but can arrest, or at least, slow down the damage process. This is why it is so important to detect the problem as early as possible, to be able to start treatment with as little damage to the vision as possible.

Although anyone can get glaucoma, patients with a family history of glaucoma, diabetes, migraine, myopia, eye injuries, and high blood pressure are all risk factors.

Increased eye pressure implies you are at risk for glaucoma, but does not mean you have the disease. A person has glaucoma only if the optic nerve is damaged. If you have increased eye pressure but no damage to the optic nerve, you do not have glaucoma. Glaucoma can develop without increased eye pressure. This form of glaucoma is called low-tension or normal-tension glaucoma.

Glaucoma is detected by a comprehensive eye examination including the measurement of the eye pressure, optic nerve examination, measurement of corneal thickness, digital photographs of the optic optic nerve, and if necessary a visual field test and measurement of the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness utilising optical coherence tomography.  All the tests can be performed in our clinic.

Although there is no cure for glaucoma it can usually be controlled and further loss of sight either prevented or at least slowed down. The mainstay of treatment is eyedrops used on at least a daily basis. The drops can be varied to best suit the patient and the type of glaucoma.
Selective laser trabeculoplasty is a laser procedure which we also perform in our clinic to control the pressure in the eye.

Digital photograph of an optic nerve of a patient with glaucoma

The Visual field of a patient with glaucoma

Optical coherence tomography.