Glaucoma

Glaucoma and Aging: A Deadly Combination Glaucoma is a debilitating disease affecting mainly the elderly, often times limiting mobility (eg. Walking, driving, societal mobility) and if untreated, can cause complete blindness. It is simply described as the build up of intraocular pressure (IOP) or pressure within the eyeball. The main reason for loss of vision is due to damage to the optic nerve, caused by the pressure build up. In glaucoma, it has been estimated …

…and one can live a relatively pain free, “normal” life. It was also frequently mentioned that e! lderly individuals should have frequent eye exams, because by the time that vision is affected, there has been done a great deal of irreparable damage to the optic nerve. This will definitely hinder the mobility due to loss of visual acuity. Glaucoma is a treatable, preventable disease, which need not impede our walk or our life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**