There are several types of glaucoma; however the most common type of this disease is primary open angle glaucoma. Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. It is generally characterized by three things. There is a great deal of pressure in the eye, development of optic nerve atrophy occurs, and there is a loss of the peripheral field of vision which ultimately impairs central vision. Glaucoma has been viewed as a disease caused by increased eye pressure. The current view is that glaucoma represents a common end stage of several different diseases. Glaucoma is regarded as a final common end stage pathway of a number of different conditions. While high eye pressure is the most important risk factor for the development & progression of glaucoma, it is still only a risk factor and not the disease itself.

Over the years...