{"id":27335,"date":"2026-07-10T14:19:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T11:19:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/athensvision.gr\/glaucoma\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T12:13:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T09:13:08","slug":"glaucoma","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/athensvision.gr\/en\/glaucoma\/","title":{"rendered":"Glaucoma"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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SERVICES \/ GLAUCOMA<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Glaucoma<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Glaucoma is a condition that can cause progressive damage to the optic nerve, often due to increased pressure inside the eye, and can lead to vision loss if left untreated.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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What is glaucoma?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Glaucoma <\/strong>is a heterogenic group of diseases that are characterized by an irreversible insult to the optic nerve. The optic nerve consists of retinal nerve <\/strong>fibers that carry the optical information from the eye to the brain (Fig. 1). <\/p>

Glaucoma is usually asymptomatic and typically the glaucoma patient is unaware of his visual loss until late stages of the disease. The reasons of unawareness are that interval changes occur at a slow rate on a daily basis and that patients develop coping strategies to fill in their peripheral visual field loss by \u201cscanning\u201d the environment. <\/p>

For this reason, a preventive evaluation by a glaucoma specialist is essential in confirming the diagnosis early in order to prevent further damage, maintain vision and vision related quality of life. Therefore, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends annual screening for people over forty years of age, especially for those who have a family history of glaucoma.
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The Etiology of Glaucoma
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The etiology of glaucoma<\/strong> is unknown. However, in most cases the optic nerve is damaged as a result of elevated intraocular pressure. Reduction of patient\u2019s intraocular pressure by medications, laser or surgery is of paramount importance in our treatment strategy.
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\u0391queous humor (fluid within the eye) is constantly produced and drained. The balance between production and outflow is reflected by the intraocular pressure (IOP). If for some reason outflow is obstructed there is an increase in intraocular pressure (Fig. 2). Patients with elevated IOP without any evidence of structural or functional damage to the optic nerve suffer from ocular hypertension a significant risk factor for the development of glaucoma. Concurrent damage to the optic nerve establishes the diagnosis of glaucoma. However, not all patients with ocular hypertension will develop glaucoma vice versa some patients will develop glaucoma in the absence of elevated IOP (low tension glaucoma).
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There are several other epidemiologic risk factors predisposing to glaucoma development such as advanced age, family history of glaucoma, race, use of oral contraceptives or corticosteroids, the presence of vascular diseases etc.
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Recently, multicenter clinical trials (i.e. Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study) have demonstrated the importance of a new risk factor: the thickness of the central cornea. Patients with a thinner cornea carry an increased risk of developing glaucoma. At the Athens Vision Eye Institute, we employ contact and non-contact methods to precisely measure central corneal thickness in all patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
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Glaucoma: Diagnosis, Evaluation and Management
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Diagnosis of glaucoma does not rely on measurement of the intraocular pressure alone. Elevated eye pressure (>21mmHg) does not automatically imply glaucoma. On the other hand, normal intraocular pressure (<21mmHg) does not preclude the diagnosis of glaucoma. In fact, 1\/3 of Caucasian patients with glaucoma do not ever demonstrate untreated eye pressures above 21mmHg. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Diagnosis of glaucoma
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Patients with glaucoma demonstrate a characteristic optic nerve head appearance and evidence of progressive loss over time. Therefore, the diagnosis of glaucoma is based on a comprehensive eye examination that includes individual medical and ocular history, family history and ancillary testing, the most pertinent of which are listed below:
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