Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease that involves damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve head becomes cupped – an excavation of the central part of the nerve where nerve tissue has been lost. Cupping of the nerve leads to loss of peripheral, or side vision, which can impair many tasks. It can increase the risk of falls, and in some cases preclude driving.

In most cases people are not aware of the loss of vision in glaucoma, even if it is quite severe. It is therefore important to have checks to ensure that glaucoma is detected early before there is significant loss of vision.