“When I was first diagnosed with glaucoma, I was depressed. I didn't know much about glaucoma or if pressure could be controlled. I even had a hard time accepting that something so serious could happen to my eyes. » - Roger McGuinn, co-founder of the famous pop music group The Byrds. Without necessary treatment, glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, while simultaneously being the leading cause in Africa (Glaucoma Research Foundation). According to the American Optometric Association, “Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries images from the retina, which is the specialized light-detecting tissue, to the brain so that we can see. They go on to say that in glaucoma, eye pressure plays a vital role in damaging the delicate nerve fibers of the optic nerve. “When a significant number of nerve fibers are damaged, blind spots develop in the field of vision. Once nerve damage and visual loss occurs, it is permanent. The National Institute of Health states that due to the shallower depth of the anterior chamber, this defect harms the lives of people primarily of East Asian descent. The Foundation continues to state that black people are among the people who are three times more likely to have glaucoma, while women in general are twice as likely to develop narrow-angle glaucoma. Although these are risk factors, Dr Tim Kennedy, who launched Patient.co.uk jointly with his GP wife, Dr Beverley Kenny, informed us in 1995 that even having a family history, being very Myopic or having already been diagnosed with diabetes puts you at risk of developing a form of glaucoma. Among the different forms of this disease, chronic open-angle glaucoma is the one that contains ...... middle of paper ...... placed in the eye to help drain the aqueous fluid. After laser surgery and eye drops do the work by creating a drainage flap in the eye and inserting a drainage valve. Trabeculectomy is filtering microsurgery involving the creation of a drainage flap. This flap will then allow the fluid to “seep” and later flow into the vascular system. All procedures aim to reduce pressure inside the eye. Surgery can help reduce pressure when medications aren't enough, but it cannot reverse vision loss. Unfortunately, after all our advances, no cure for glaucoma has yet surfaced. Glaucoma patients must continue treatment for the rest of their lives. This makes things incredibly difficult, as the disease can progress or change silently. Due to the nature of glaucoma, constant visits to the ophthalmologist are essential to keep the disease discreet..