Glaucoma

(glaw-KOH-muh) A condition in which there is a build-up of fluid in the eye, which presses on the retina and the optic nerve. The retina is the layer of nerve tissue inside the eye that senses light and sends images along the optic nerve to the brain. Glaucoma can damage the optic nerve and cause loss of vision or blindness.

(Open-angle and acute angle-closure glaucoma, Neovascular glaucoma) A disease of the eye characterized by high intraocular pressure within the eyeball, damaged optic disk, atrophy of the optic nerve, hardening of the eyeball, and partial defect in the field of vision or complete loss of vision. Glaucoma is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), or optic nerve damage.