glaucoma

/glɔˈkoʊmə/

/glaʊˈkʌʊmə/

Other forms: glaucomas

Glaucoma is a serious eye condition that can lead to blindness if it's not treated. It's much more common for elderly people to develop glaucoma than younger people.

Glaucoma is usually caused by fluid building up in the eye and increasing the pressure on the optic nerve. Although glaucoma causes a lot of the blindness in people older than 60, it's almost always treatable if it's diagnosed early enough. The word glaucoma comes from the Greek glaukoma, "opacity of the lens," from the root glaukommatos, "gray-eyed."

Definitions of glaucoma

1. noun

   an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and impairs vision (sometimes progressing to blindness)
   “contrary to popular belief, glaucoma is not always caused by elevated intraocular pressure”

   types:

   acute glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, closed-angle glaucoma

   glaucoma in which the iris blocks the outflow of aqueous humor

   normal tension glaucoma

   glaucoma that results from damage to the optic nerve although the intraocular pressure is normal

   chronic glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma

   glaucoma caused by blockage of the canal of Schlemm; produces gradual loss of peripheral vision

   type of:

   eye disease

   any disease of the eye