Glaucoma: an overview.

Abstract

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness. It is a public health problem. No race is exempted from getting glaucoma. In the United States there are more than 2 million people afflicted with this disease. Every effort should be made to detect those people at risk early, and adequately manage them to prevent blindness. Therefore, it is important than an awareness of this disease should be created among health care professionals and the general public. This will lead to the early detection and proper management of this disease to prevent blindness. Glaucoma is a group of ocular conditions that will lead to blindness if it is not controlled. Although our knowledge about this group of diseases has advanced much in the past few decades--as compared with earlier times--we still are ignorant about the finer points and details regarding the disease. A lot of basic and clinical research is required to further and completely understand it. Much research is being done toward better management of glaucoma. Many multicenter clinical trials are being conducted. Collection of data regarding glaucoma is ongoing and will contribute to a better understanding of glaucoma--and thereby better management of patients who develop glaucoma.