Glaucoma is the hypernym for a heterogeneous group of eye diseases which will lead to a characteristic impairment of the cranial nerve and limitation of the visual field if they remain untreated. An elevated intraocular pressure is usually the reason for glaucomas. The intraocular pressure of healthy eyes normally ranges between 7 and 21 mmHg.

The measurement of the intraocular pressure and an assessment of the cranial nerve are the most essential aspects of the glaucoma diagnostics. If a glaucoma is assumed, your visual field should be tested. The thickness of your cornea should also be measured and the altered cranial nerve measured quantitatively, for instance with special equipment such as OCT, HRT or GDx.

Thanks to the constant medical developments, glaucomas can be treated with eye drops by now. A laser eye treatment can restrict the production of aqueous humor and improve the aqueous outflow, which will eliminate the elevation of the intraocular pressure. If the first two methods do not produce results, the glaucoma can be treated surgically.

Most glaucomas are not inherent and only occur during adulthood. The rate of inherent glaucomas is 1 out of 10,000, which is a rather low rate.

As the alterations are irreversible, it is of major importance to diagnose a glaucoma as early as possible.