That is an excellent question, thank you for submitting it. Glaucoma is classically defined as a stereotypical pattern of damage to the optic nerve and certain layers of the retina. Elevated intraocular pressure is a risk factor for glaucoma, but just because the pressure is elevated this does not mean you have glaucoma. Often people with elevated intraocular pressure alone, and no other signs of glaucoma, are given the diagnosis of ocular hypertension. Similarly, just because the intraocular pressure is normal, this does not mean that someone cannot have glaucoma. We often see patients with glaucoma that have never had increased intraocular pressure, and we call this "normal tension glaucoma." There are a lot of different types of glaucoma, and they can progress at different rates. It is difficult to predict what course glaucoma will take. Regardless of the type of glaucoma that you have, the only variable that we can change to slow or stop the progression of glaucoma is the intraocular pressure.

Once a thorough eye exam has been completed, as eye doctors we often set a target or goal intraocular pressure. To achieve this goal, there are essentially three different tools that we can use to treat glaucoma. We use eye medicated eye drops, laser treatments, and surgical methods to lower the intraocular pressure. The eye doctor will follow the intraocular pressure, vision, visual fields, and the appearance of the optic nerves to see if the glaucoma progression has stopped. If the pressure is not reduced enough or the doctor ever notices advancement in the glaucoma, they will add more medications or use laser or surgery to help lower the intraocular pressure further.