What Is Glaucoma?

Aug. 24, 2009— -- Question: What is glaucoma?

Answer: Glaucoma's a disease of the optic nerve, and in primary open-angle glaucoma, the pressure goes up, and that causes damage to the optic nerve, and then people lose their side or their peripheral vision. In narrow angle glaucoma the patient has very little space in the eye, so the fluid ends up building up if it closes up, and therefore patients have complaints of nausea and vomiting. Their eye is very red; it's very painful. The pupil is dilated, and in that instance we have to do an emergent surgical procedure for them.