Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve caused by intraocular pressure. The good health of the optic nerve depends on the blood circulation and consequently on the supply of nutrients. If blood circulation is slowed down or worse, blocked because of high intraocular pressure, the nerve starts to suffer and, if this condition lasts for too long, the nerve begins to get damaged. It is important to highlight that nerve suffering is a reversible condition, while the damage is permanent.
At the beginning the damage arises without the patient can realise it and it consists in a gradual loss of visual field. The damage becomes clear only when the disease is quite advanced, but unfortunately at this stage the loss of vision cannot be recovered. For this reason early diagnostic of glaucoma is extremely important and it can be made by periodic eye tests that determine intraocular pressure in addition to the simple visual acuity test, and that, in case of suspected conditions, include a computer-assisted visual field test.