Could I Have Glaucoma?

Question: Could I Have Glaucoma?

Answer: You are right to be concerned, but having increased eye pressure does not necessarily mean that you have glaucoma. Increased eye pressure does, however, put you at risk for developing the disease. Glaucoma is present when the optic nerve is damaged. Vision loss and blindness will likely result if glaucoma is left untreated.

If your eye doctor tells you that you have increased eye pressure but your optic nerve is not damaged, then you do not have glaucoma. Not every person with elevated pressure will develop the disease, either. Some people with high pressure never develop glaucoma because their optic nerve can tolerate the pressure. A high level of eye pressure may be normal for some people, but it is important for an eye care professional to determine what level is normal for you.

Annual comprehensive eye exams are of utmost importance for this reason. Glaucoma is a silent disease in its early stages. The first symptom of glaucoma is often vision loss, vision lost that cannot be restored. If detected early enough, however, glaucoma can be treated and managed to prevent further loss of vision.

_Source:

US Department of Health and Human Services, Glaucoma: What You Should Know. National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. Sep 2003.