Some of the most common types of glaucoma include:
- Open-Angle Glaucoma: The most common type of glaucoma, which generally shows no symptoms before permanent peripheral vision loss begins. Open-angle glaucoma occurs when the drainage system in your eye is blocked. This blockage causes fluid to accumulate, increasing pressure in your eye and eventually damaging the optic nerve.
- Angle-Closure Glaucoma: A type of glaucoma that results from the iris blocking the drainage angle, causing fluid to build up in your eye. As a result, pressure increases within the eye and damages the optic nerve. Angle-closure glaucoma can be acute or chronic, but acute angle-closure glaucoma is considered a medical emergency.
- Normal-Tension Glaucoma: A type of glaucoma that occurs when the optic nerve is damaged by factors other than elevated internal eye pressure. Normal-tension glaucoma can affect people with hypersensitive optic nerves and sometimes results from partially-blocked arteries.
If you have a family history of glaucoma, you’re more likely to develop glaucoma. But, glaucoma can happen to anyone. That’s why our practice screens for glaucoma during every comprehensive eye exam.
