What causes Glaucoma?
It is not known what causes glaucoma. In some, but not all, the optic nerve is damaged by high eye pressure. Nerve damage can usually be stopped, or slowed, by lowering the eye pressure. With medicines, laser, or conventional surgery, glaucoma treatment is designed only to lower the eye pressure. Some eyes with glaucoma optic nerve damage continue to deteriorate despite having the lowest possible eye pressures. It is not known why this happens. Intensive research around the world is now directed at understanding the cause of the damage in these patients and to develop new treatments to preserve the optic nerve.
Many different conditions can cause high eye pressure. For you to be treated correctly, it is important that the cause of the elevation is determined. Nearly always, it is caused by some form of "clogging" or blockage of the drainage of internal fluid within the eye (aqueous humour). Since the eye continually produces this fluid, blockage of the drainage causes the eye pressure to increase.
It is not known what causes glaucoma. In some, but not all, the optic nerve is damaged by high eye pressure. Nerve damage can usually be stopped, or slowed, by lowering the eye pressure. With medicines, laser, or conventional surgery, glaucoma treatment is designed only to lower the eye pressure. Some eyes with glaucoma optic nerve damage continue to deteriorate despite having the lowest possible eye pressures. It is not known why this happens. Intensive research around the world is now directed at understanding the cause of the damage in these patients and to develop new treatments to preserve the optic nerve.
Many different conditions can cause high eye pressure. For you to be treated correctly, it is important that the cause of the elevation is determined. Nearly always, it is caused by some form of "clogging" or blockage of the drainage of internal fluid within the eye (aqueous humour). Since the eye continually produces this fluid, blockage of the drainage causes the eye pressure to increase.