Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It is a disease of the optic nerve, the part of the eye responsible for carrying the images we see to the brain. The optic nerve is made up of huge numbers of nerve fibers. Glaucoma causes increased pressure within the eye, resulting in damage to these nerve fibers.

Because the most common type of glaucoma does not present any noticeable symptoms until serious optic nerve damage has already occurred, early detection and treatment are the keys to preventing the loss of vision from glaucoma.