Glaucoma

NIH URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/glaucoma.html

Glaucoma damages the eye's optic nerve. It is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. It usually happens when the fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, damaging the optic nerve. Often there are no symptoms at first, but a comprehensive eye exam can detect it.

People at risk should get eye exams at least every two years. They include

    * African Americans over age 40
    * People over age 60, especially Mexican Americans
    * People with a family history of glaucoma

Early treatment can help protect your eyes against vision loss. Treatments usually include prescription eyedrops and/or surgery.

National Eye Institute
Start Here

    * GlaucomaNIHSeniorHealth(National Institute on Aging) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/glaucoma/toc.html
    * GlaucomaFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Eye Institute) - http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts.asp
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/espanol/glaucoma_paciente.asp
    * GlaucomaInteractive Tutorial(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/glaucoma/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/glaucomaspanish/htm/index.htm

Overviews

    * Glaucoma(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/seniors/common-older/216.printerview.html
      Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/seniors/common-older/216.printerview.html
    * Glaucoma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/glaucoma/DS00283/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print

Latest News

    * Glaucoma Treatment Can Prevent Blindness(07/02/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_66509.html

Diagnosis/Symptoms

    * Diagnostic Tests for Glaucoma(Glaucoma Research Foundation) - http://www.glaucoma.org/learn/diagnostic_test.php
    * Glaucoma Symptoms(American Health Assistance Foundation) - http://www.ahaf.org/glaucoma/about/glsymp.htm

Treatment

    * Cyclophotocoagulation(Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology) - http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/treatment/cyclophotocoagulation/index.cfm
    * Eyedrop Tips(Glaucoma Research Foundation) - http://www.glaucoma.org/treating/eyedrop_tips_1.php
    * Glaucoma Filtration Surgery(Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology) - http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/treatment/glaucoma-filtration/index.cfm
    * Laser Iridotomy(American Academy of Ophthalmology) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZXI9SSSEE&sub_cat=0
    * Laser Trabeculoplasty(Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology) - http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/treatment/laser-trabeculoplasty/index.cfm
    * Surgical & Laser Procedures for Glaucoma(American Health Assistance Foundation) - Links to PDF - http://www.ahaf.org/SubIndex/NGR_PDF_FactSheets/SurgicalandLaserProcedures.pdf

Prevention/Screening

    * How Often Should I Have an Eye Exam?(Prevent Blindness America) - http://www.preventblindness.org/eye_tests/near_vision_recom.html
    * New Tool to Predict Glaucoma(Glaucoma Research Foundation) - http://www.glaucoma.org/treating/a_new_tool_to_p.php

Alternative Therapy

    * Alternative Medicine(Glaucoma Research Foundation) - http://www.glaucoma.org/treating/alternative_med.php
    * Glaucoma and Marijuana UseFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Eye Institute) - http://www.nei.nih.gov/news/statements/marij.asp

Specific Conditions

    * Types of Glaucoma(Glaucoma Foundation) - http://www.glaucomafoundation.org/types_of_glaucoma.htm

Related Issues

    * Daily Life(Glaucoma Research Foundation) - http://www.glaucoma.org/living/daily_life.php
    * Driving When You Have Glaucoma(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/olddrive/Driving_glaucoma/
    * Ocular Hypertension(American Optometric Association) - http://www.aoa.org/x4723.xml
    * Talking to Your DoctorFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Eye Institute) - http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/talktodoc.asp
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/espanol/oculista.asp

Pictures & Photographs

    * Diagram of the EyeFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Eye Institute) - http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/eyediagram/
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/espanol/diagrama_ojo.asp
    * Progression of Open-Angle Glaucoma Symptoms as Seen through the Eyes of the Patient(American Health Assistance Foundation) - http://www.ahaf.org/glaucoma/about/Glaucoma_ProgressionNEW.html

Health Check Tools

    * Glaucoma: How Much Do You Know?From the National Institutes of Health(National Eye Institute) - http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma_quiz/index.asp

Tutorials

    * GlaucomaNIHSeniorHealth(National Institute on Aging) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/glaucoma/toc.html
    * Glaucoma(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/glaucoma/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/glaucomaspanish/htm/index.htm

Anatomy/Physiology

    * Anatomy of the Eye(Glaucoma Research Foundation) - http://www.glaucoma.org/learn/anatomy_of_the.php

Financial Issues

    * Financial Aid for Eye CareFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Eye Institute) - http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/financialaid.asp
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/espanol/financialaid_sp.asp

Clinical Trials

    * ClinicalTrials.gov: GlaucomaFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Glaucoma%22

Genetics

    * Genetics Home Reference: Early-onset glaucomaFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=earlyonsetglaucoma
    * Genetics Home Reference: Nail-patella syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=nailpatellasyndrome

Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

    * Article: Currents on target intraocular pressure and intraocular pressure fluctuations in... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18700453&tool=MedlinePlus
    * Article: Micropulse diode laser (810 nm) versus argon laser trabeculoplasty in... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18700451&tool=MedlinePlus
    * Article: Canadian Glaucoma Study: 2. risk factors for the progression of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18695095&tool=MedlinePlus
    * Glaucoma -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=glaucoma[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Dictionaries/Glossaries

    * Glaucoma: Glossary of Medical Terms(Glaucoma Research Foundation) - http://www.glaucoma.org/learn/glossary.php

Directories

    * Eye Health Organizations DatabaseFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Eye Institute) - http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/resourceSearch.asp
    * Find an Eye M.D.(American Academy of Ophthalmology) - http://www.aao.org/aao/eyemd_disclaimer.cfm
    * Find Services for People with Vision Loss(American Foundation for the Blind) - http://www.afb.org/services.asp

Organizations

    * American Optometric Association - http://www.aoa.org/
    * Glaucoma Foundation - http://www.glaucomafoundation.org/
    * Glaucoma Research Foundation - http://www.glaucoma.org/
    * National Eye InstituteFrom the National Institutes of Health - http://www.nei.nih.gov/

Newsletters/Print Publications

    * Eye to Eye Newsletter(Glaucoma Foundation) - http://www.glaucomafoundation.org/newsletter.htm

Law and Policy

    * Glaucoma and Medicare(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/health/glaucoma_info.asp

Children

    * Does Your Child Have Glaucoma?(Glaucoma Research Foundation) - http://www.glaucoma.org/learn/does_your_child.php
    * Glaucoma(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site961/mainpageS961P0.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

    * Eye Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eyediseases.html
    * Eyes and Vision - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eyesandvision.html
    * Seniors - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniors.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Glaucoma is the National Eye Institute - http://www.nei.nih.gov/

Glaucoma - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/glaucoma.html

Date last updated: August 20 2008
Topic last reviewed: July 23 2008