In a healthy eye, a balance exist between the fluid produced, and the fluid that leaves the eye. This balance keeps the eye pressure at a healthy level. In order to maintain this balance, the eye has a built in drainage system. This drainage system controls the inflow and outflow of the fluids, which is responsible for nourishing the eye. When the natural drainage of the eye becomes obstructed, the fluid have nowhere to escape causing the pressure to elevate. The optic nerve is most vulnerable to this type of damage from elevated pressure. Continuous elevated pressure, or spikes in the pressure, can damage the optic nerve.
Because glaucoma is painless, there are usually no early warning signs of this disease. It is less noticeable because it develops slowly, in most cases over a longer period of time, and as a result the vision loss is not as obvious. Glaucoma, if left untreated, can lead to vision loss or even blindness and it is the second leading cause of blindness. Individuals who are at risk of developing glaucoma should be tested regularly to remain the quality of their vision.