Glaucoma+Disease

= **Glaucoma- Matthew Dunn 9.** =

Glaucoma is a disease of the major nerve of vision, which is the optic nerve. Elevated pressure in the eye is the main way to cause glaucoma to the eye optic nerve. The optic nerve, which is located in the back of the eye, is the main nerve for the eyes. This nerve transmits everything we see to the brain for interpretation. The eye's tone and shape are maintained by a pressure within the eye. When the pressure is too low, the eye becomes softer, while an elevated pressure makes the eye to become harder. The optic nerve is the most sensitive part of the eye to high pressure, because the fibers in this nerve are easily damaged.

This disease is very common and it is the leading cause to blindness, which is irreversible. There are as many as 6 million people that are blind in the both eyes due to glaucoma, only in the United States. There are estimated over 3 million people that has glaucoma. However, some of them may not be aware that they have the disease. The reason why they do not know they have the disease, is that glaucoma causes no symptoms, and the loss of vision is usually not recognized.

Nerve damage or vision loss usually cannot be reversed, but glaucoma is a disease that can be controlled. The treatment may require eyedrops, laser, pills or surgery.

**Bibliography:** Glaucoma- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002587/ (PudMed Health, Date accessed: August 19th)

Glaucoma Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaucoma (Wikipedia, Date accessed: August 18th)

Glaucoma Symptoms- http://www.medicinenet.com/glaucoma/article.htm (Medicinenet, Date accessed: August 19th)